


Cartwheels In The Rain

by saddle_tramp



Series: SPN/Glee Xover of Doom [3]
Category: Real Person Fiction, Supernatural
Genre: Barebacking, Graphic Sexual Content, M/M, Swearing, abuse of the word ‘babe’, asshole!John Winchester, corruption of innocent Harleys, mention of drug use (weed), mention of past physical and emotional abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-12
Updated: 2010-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-13 15:52:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 92,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddle_tramp/pseuds/saddle_tramp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean made Sam a promise when Sam was fifteen that he’d stop hunting when Sam went to college, so after Sam started Stanford, Dean tried to make a life for himself outside of hunting. He ended up rooming with Jensen Ackles, a guy he met when he was in Texas for a hunt on a college campus where Jensen was attending school. They got along great and everything was fine until Jensen talked Dean into going to an open call for a part as an extra on the show Angel, changing his life forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is in the same verse as my novel-length SPN/Glee crossover stories, _'Dancing Days'_ and _'Nothing Much To Offer'_ , set just over three years afterwards. _'Nothin' But A Drifter'_ is the next part of Dean's story after this, and _'Kissing An Angel'_ and _'Learning To Live Again'_ are in the same verse as well, but occur much later in Dean’s life. This story can easily stand on it’s own, but I kinda love the whole package, which is why I wrote them all, and will be writing more in this ‘verse, I am very sure.
> 
> All you really need to know about the other stories before reading this one is that in this ‘verse Dean went to high school in Lima, Ohio, for six memorable weeks when he was nineteen, and his experiences there changed his views on life completely. Also, Dean Winchester isn’t just a character that Jensen Ackles will eventually play on television, he’s also a good friend of Jensen’s that happens to look enough like him that they could pass as twins if Dean was a little taller and Jensen looked a few years older.
> 
> I tried to watch release dates of any media used in this story, but I likely missed a few. If you spot anything that doesn’t fit with when this story is set, just take it as read that in this ‘verse it got released at a different time. I tried to keep it close and did way more research than I wanted to do, but when a song, movie, or television episode was recorded often has little to do with the release date.
> 
> And yes, I know I took a liberty or two with one particular movie’s filming, not to mention when/how two songs in particular were written and first performed, but I’m not sorry at all.
> 
> .... And after editing this, I feel like I need to say something about Dean’s ability with horses, particularly his first time riding a horse. It’s not in Marty Stu territory, honestly. I’ve owned, bred, and trained horses for over twenty years myself, and I have seen someone with my own eyes that rode as well their first time bareback on a horse. Yes, I was green with envy, and maybe a little bitchy about it. It took me _weeks_ of riding bareback to feel safe going faster than a walk, which was very annoying since I was fourteen at the time and didn’t own a saddle to go with my brand new trail horse. :-P
> 
> Title from the song _'Crazy In Love'_ by Christian Kane and Steve Carlson.

 

 

“Jen, no. Seriously.”

Jensen smirked and nodded, looking over Dean’s shoulder into the mirror. “Oh yes.”

Dean glanced at Jensen’s hazel eyes, so similar to his own except for the lack of a green tint, and then he looked again at what Jensen had done to his hair. It was slicked back on either side of his head with some kind of waxy crap, and then Jensen had used the same stuff to make the rest of Dean’s floppy hair – which was in desperate need of being cut – stand straight up nearly five inches tall. It looked kind of bad-ass, except for the fact he hadn’t shaved the rest of his head so it was obvious it was a weekender mohawk and not the real thing. “The casting call didn’t say _anything_ about a mohawk.”

Jensen snorted. “It said ‘cheap punk rentboy’ and you so look that part now.”

Dean inspected his reflection, taking in the choke chain around his neck and the dangly skull earring in his right earlobe, and then he let his gaze roam down over the net shirt that was mostly rips and safety pins to the jeans that were mostly holes, showing a lot of pale smooth skin but still barely covering enough to be street legal. He wore his own combat boots and plain black leather belt with the getup, but they looked right at home with the rest of the outfit, battered and worn but still kind of sexy if you liked the type. His own beat-up watch also fit in well, the chunky leather band balanced by a very similar band on his other wrist that Jensen had supplied.

“Well, yeah,” Dean finally admitted grudgingly. “I guess I do.”

Jensen patted Dean’s shoulder, grinning at him in the mirror. “Stop worrying, you’ve got this part in the bag, Dean.”

Dean let out a little laugh, turning away from the mirror to look at Jensen. “Are you sayin’ I make a good rentboy?”

“Yep,” Jensen said, grinning unrepentantly. “You know how to work it, and in those clothes?” He laughed. “You’re gonna have them passing you phone numbers along with the callback slip.”

Dean grinned. “That wouldn’t be so bad. There’s one or two guys on that show I wouldn’t mind turning a trick for.”

“I still think it’s funny that a hunter like you not only watches _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ , but has a thing for one of the vampires,” Jensen teased, grinning as he reached out to move a safety pin in Dean’s shirt so that the silver hoop in Dean’s left nipple was more obvious. Dean had gotten drunk on expensive Cuervo Gold tequila his first weekend in LA, and he woke up Monday morning with a pierced ear and nipple and a hangover that lasted most of the day.

“Shut up, asshole,” Dean muttered, blushing just a bit as he stood still for Jensen to play with the shirt. “It’s the accent, and that smirk of his.”

“You just want to be Buffy,” Jensen teased, giving Dean an impish grin and then moving around to look critically at the navy blue bandana hanging out of Dean’s right back pocket.

The bandana had been one of Dean’s additions to the costume, and much like the combat boots it was something he had owned and worn for years. A trick in New Orleans had given Dean the bandana and explained the ‘hanky code’ to him, and Dean had liked the simple efficiency of the idea. He didn’t work a street corner very often anymore, not since he figured out how to scam credit cards, but when he went out wanting to pick up a guy he always tucked the bandana in his right back pocket. Most wouldn’t get the significance of it at first glance, but those who did would know he preferred to bottom and was looking to hook up. He enjoyed topping too, of course, but he had learned years ago that being fucked just flat did it for him.

Dean snorted and tried to ignore the feeling of Jensen’s fingers sliding into his back pocket to smooth the folded bandana as he grumbled, “I do _not_. She’s an idiot, always whinin’ over that broody asshole Angel. I have _much_ better taste than her, and I can kick more ass, too.”

Jensen didn’t say anything as he stepped back, giving Dean’s ass an appraising look and then giving a sharp tug at a tiny three-cornered tear to make it a little bigger, smirking as he let go of the small flap of denim to let it hang. The hole had just shown a pale spot before, but bigger Dean knew it would be obvious the hole revealed a glimpse of skin just above the inside corner of Dean’s left back pocket, proving he was either going commando or wearing a thong.

Jensen moved back around in front of Dean, smirking. “Alright, time to go. You got your bus pass?”

Dean’s eyes widened. “Oh _hell_ no. I am _not_ riding the bus like this!”

“There won’t be any parking for your car,” Jensen pointed out, amused. “Not parking you’d trust, anyway.”

“Then I’ll call a fuckin’ cab!” Dean said quickly, wide-eyed. “If I get on a bus dressed like this I’m gonna have all kinds of skeevy freaks feeling me up!”

Jensen smirked. “ _Or_ you could ask your roommate to give you a ride there.”

“You are so not drivin’ my baby in LA traffic without a chaperone, especially out near the studios,” Dean said quickly. “Forget that shit.” He started towards their tiny kitchen and the phone, adding, “And I’m takin’ my keys, so don’t get any bright ideas about goin’ joy riding once I’m gone, either. My baby’s staying locked up safe in the garage where she belongs.”

Dean had to leave the Impala behind a lot more often than he liked because LA had such craptastic parking, but he hadn’t felt safe doing that until he was sure no one would be stealing her while he was gone. He had spent a week when he first moved in working on the garage, making it as safe and secure as he knew how to do. Getting into it from the outside was damned near impossible, and the inside door between the garage and the kitchen was locked with three deadbolts. Dean would have gone for four, at least, but Jensen had pointed out that the house had an alarm system and the police would automatically be called if anyone got in, and after some thought Dean conceded the point. They were in a crappy neighborhood, but the nearest police station was three blocks away and had a quick reaction time, so a thief probably wouldn’t have time to pick three locks and then figure out the locks he had on the garage bay door, even if they did go straight to the garage.

Jensen scowled, following Dean towards the kitchen as he muttered, “Selfish bastard.”

“About my car, hell yeah,” Dean agreed with a laugh as he stopped at the counter to pick up the phone book that they kept by the phone. “I saw your car after you totaled it last time, man. You’re not drivin’ my baby unless I’m ridin’ shotgun to keep your ass out of trouble.”

“The stupid cow jumped right out in front of me!” Jensen protested. “Who the hell expects to see a _Longhorn_ _cow_ run out of an alley in LA?!”

“You wouldn’t have hit it if you weren’t driving sixty in a thirty-five, dumbass,” Dean pointed out, flipping through the phone book. “And if I remember right, _you_ told _me_ they were shooting a cowboy porn flick on the backlot near where you were working that week. You even got me a copy of the call sheet because it was supposedly such easy money.”

Dean hadn’t gone to the call, of course. He didn’t do straight porn no matter how broke he was, especially the cheap stuff. Someone he knew was sure to stumble across it in some ratty little motel in Podunk, Idaho and make his life a living hell. Gay porn was much safer. No one he knew would admit to watching it, so if they saw him he’d never know it.

“Since when does cheap cowboy porn in this town have _real cows_ in it?!” Jensen exclaimed. “I mean, come on! Half the time they use fake horses that look like hairy couches with _legs_!”

Dean snickered as he reached for the phone, giving Jensen an amused look as he started to dial. “Shut up, I’m on the phone.”

Jensen flipped him off and moved towards the fridge, muttering to himself about cows and freaky porn directors.

Dean pretended not to hear him, waiting for someone to answer the phone. He had over an hour to get to the studio, but there was no telling what traffic would be like, and it was a half hour drive on a good day.

 

~*~

 

“Who is _that_?”

Christian looked up from his script at Steve in surprise. Steve lifted his chin towards someone off to Christian’s left, so he turned to look.

The kids trying out for the extra spots in an episode where Angel had to walk down a street popular with rentboys were filing out of the room where the tryouts had happened. They were all dressed like a reject from a Billy Idol video as far as Christian could tell, and most of them looked about fifteen years old. The sad thing was that they were about the right age to pass for rentboys, at least in LA.

“Which one?” Christian asked, looking back at Steve.

“The only one who’s legal,” Steve said with a soft little snort. “I swear I saw him before.”

Christian looked back at the group of kids, really looking at them that time. Most of them were pimple-faced kids in too much makeup and not enough clothes, dressed up like a straight boy’s idea of a gay fantasy. There was a lot of leather and skin and not much in the way of good looks to go with it until two of the kids moved and his gaze fell on a set of wide shoulders.

The guy wasn’t very tall but he was obviously no boy with a muscular back that was bare and tanned under a string netting shirt that was mostly air, and as Christian’s gaze roamed lower it found a worn navy blue bandana in the right back pocket of the guy’s skin-tight, ripped up jeans. Christian’s eyebrows went up and his lips curved into a slight smirk as he wondered if the guy knew what kind of advertising he was doing, admiring the full ass for a moment longer before his gaze drifted back up to the back of the guy’s head. The guy was wearing a weekender mohawk and had a dangly earring in his right earlobe, and when he turned his head a moment later Christian got a good look at a profile that was almost too pretty to be called handsome.

Steve stepped closer to Christian then, murmuring into his ear, “He’s just your type, bro. You oughta go say hello.”

Christian let out a little snort, glancing over his shoulder at Steve as he replied quietly, “I don’t shit where I eat, man.”

“Even if he got the part, he’s just an extra,” Steve countered with a little smirk. “He doesn’t count.”

Christian just laughed and looked over at the guy again, and he was surprised when the guy met his gaze. They just looked at each other for a moment before the guy nodded slightly, giving him a sweet little smile that drew an answering smile from Christian. The guy was blushing slightly and actually seemed kind of shy, but the crooked smile and sparkling hazel eyes made Christian want to know more about him anyway. Add in the fact the guy was built like a walking wet dream, and he could have had Christian at hello. Provided, of course, that Christian got up the nerve to _say_ hello, which wasn’t something he had managed yet, at least with guys.

“Stop being a coward and go get his number,” Steve murmured, amused. “He’s into you.”

Christian blushed, laughing again as he looked at Steve and elbowed him. “Shut up, damn!”

Steve just grinned and gave him a shove towards the guy. “Just go! You know you wanna tap that ass. I saw how you were looking at him.”

“I’m not pickin’ up a guy _at work_ ,” Christian whispered quickly, blushing more and trying to keep his voice down. “People around here still think I’m straight, asshole.”

“Then I’ll go get his number for you,” Steve said, moving past Christian.

Christian grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled hard on it to turn him back around, eyes wide as he murmured furiously, “Fuck, man! Behave yourself. Not. At. Work. I can get laid just fine without your help, I swear.”

Christian was very aware of the fact that David was standing about forty feet away, talking to Joss and Charisma. The idea of picking up a guy while they were in the same room was enough to make him want to just melt into the floor. David and his dad had really hit it off when they met a few months back, and they talked on the phone about once a week because Christian’s dad wanted to know how his boy was _really_ doing in the big city. The mere _chance_ David might tell his dad he was bi was enough to make Christian think hard about swearing off men altogether before he’d ever even done anything with one.

Steve rolled his eyes and gave Christian a level look. “Dude, you never go out _anywhere_ a guy that pretty would hang out, and those skanky groupies you _do_ pick up are all kinds of stupid. One of these days one of ‘em is gonna either give you the clap or sell a lot more than your script on eBay.”

“So I won’t be pickin’ _him_ up,” Christian said quickly, keeping his voice down to a fierce whisper. “There are other hot guys in LA.”

Steve snorted and gave him a disgusted look that made Christian’s eyes narrow a bit as Steve said, “I’m gonna go have a smoke and find something to eat. You want anything?”

“No, I don’t,” Christian said just a bit sharply.

“Whatever,” Steve said, turning to walk away towards the exit.

Christian watched him go for a moment and then moved to the nearby chair that had his name on it, taking a seat and pretending to get absorbed in the script he was reading. He risked a glance towards the extras after a few minutes, and it took all of his acting ability to not look as disappointed as felt when he saw the assistant casting director, Lloyd, was ushering most of them towards the exit. Lloyd was all over the guy with the mohawk, who looked a little uncomfortable but wasn’t trying to get away, and Christian hoped he wouldn’t fall for Lloyd’s line of bullshit. He’d like to see the guy again, but not as Lloyd’s newest ‘personal assistant’.

Christian went back to reading the script, but he wasn’t really absorbing it anymore. The guy with the mohawk evidently hadn’t made it onto the show, which meant he probably wouldn’t be back until there was another open call. Since Christian was only signed for three more episodes, it wasn’t real likely he’d be back before Christian left. Maybe he should have taken a chance and said hello to the guy at least, but just the idea of coming out was enough to turn his stomach. If it ever got back to his dad, it’d kill the old man.

 

 ~*~

 

Dean followed the teenybopper wannabe actors outside, pretending not to notice the way the casting director ran a hand over his shoulder and trying hard to be nice even though the guy was twice his age and kind of smarmy. “No really man, thanks, but I’m not interested.” He reached for his bandana, jerking it out of his pocket to wad it up in one hand as he moved a little further from the guy. “I was just tryin’ out for a part, not lookin’ for a sugar daddy.”

“Well, if you change your mind, Jensen, do give me a call,” the man said with a smile that made Dean want to take a shower, offering him a business card. “Use the cell number, anytime.” He paused and then added slyly, “I can help you really get … _into_ the business.”

Dean forced himself to smile as he took the card. “Sure, man. Whatever. Listen, I gotta go. Nice meetin’ you.” He didn’t give the guy a chance to say anything else before he started walking quickly away, pretending he knew where he was headed even though he had no clue how to get back out of the place. He ducked around the corner of the building and then let himself relax with a shudder, looking down and ripping up the card as he muttered, “I am so not sellin’ my ass to a freak like _that_ to get on fuckin’ _Angel_.”

Someone snickered and he looked towards the sound in surprise to see the shaggy blond dude who had been talking to the guy he had sort of hoped was going to hit on him. “Never fall on the casting couch,” the blond said with a smirk, looking amused as he lounged against the wall only a few feet away from Dean. “Especially not for that asshole. He’s always got some pretty kid he’s ‘helping’ that thinks he’ll make them a star, but he never does.”

“I figured as much,” Dean said, giving the guy an appraising look. He was good looking enough if you liked the surfer type, but he wasn’t really Dean’s speed. “There a reason you’re standin’ out here?”

The guy lifted his hand to show Dean his half-smoked cigarette, amused. “No smoking inside.” He glanced down at the bandana Dean was still holding in his right hand, and then he met Dean’s gaze again as he added, “Kinda curious about that, though. Was it just for the part?”

Dean looked into the guy’s pale blue-grey eyes for a long moment before he said slowly, “Depends on who’s askin’. You, or your buddy?”

The guy smirked. “That’s as good as a no.” He pushed away from the wall, giving Dean a knowing little grin. “My buddy’s name is Christian, by the way. He’ll be at the Viper Room tonight. We got a gig.”

“What kind of gig?” Dean asked without thinking, watching as the guy turned to saunter away.

“Music, of course,” the guy said with a laugh. “It’s the _Viper Room_.” He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, adding, “And the way out of this maze is the other way, man. Hang a left and go down to the second street on the right, then follow it until you hit the sign pointing towards the parking lot. Turn left from there and you’ll be able to see the front gate.”

“Thanks,” Dean said.

The guy waved vaguely, not even glancing back. “See you later.”

Dean watched until the guy disappeared around a corner and then let out a little snort of a laugh as he turned to head back the other direction, pausing at the corner to peek around and see if the casting guy was still around. He wasn’t, so Dean started walking quickly in the direction of the gate, absently tucking the bandana into his back pocket again.

Jensen was sure to know what the Viper Room was, and if he didn’t there was always the phone book.

 

~*~

 

“You picked up _Christian Kane_?!” Jensen blurted, wide-eyed. “The Christian Kane who plays _Lindsey_ , the lawyer?”

“I don’t know his last name or who the hell he plays on that damned show,” Dean said, rolling his eyes as he reached into the fridge for a beer and a couple wedges of lime. “I don’t watch it, Jen. It’s pure crap. If anyone got a spinoff from Buffy, it should’ve been Oz. _He_ is cool, even if he is a werewolf.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, you hate Angel, blah blah blah. Back to the fact _Christian fucking Kane_ sent his buddy outside to have you meet him at a club tonight.”

Dean snorted, rapping his Corona on the counter to pop off the cap and pretending not to see the way it made Jensen wince. Jensen hated it when Dean used whatever surface was handy to knock the cap off a beer, so Dean only did it when Jensen had annoyed him enough that Dean wanted to tweak his tail a little. “The blond dude said that the guy who was checkin’ me out’s name is Christian, that’s all I know.” He squeezed one of the lime wedges into the neck of his beer with practiced ease and then poked the wedge into the bottle as he said pointedly, “And I _don’t_ know he had the hots for me. He was lookin’, sure, and he smiled at me while his buddy seemed like he was tryin’ to get him to make a move, but then they argued and the blond guy walked out. Christian didn’t even look at me again after that.”

“Dean, he’s from _Oklahoma._ Looking and letting you catch him doing it is as good as a guy from California walking up and grabbing your dick.”

Dean snickered, poking the second wedge of lime into his beer. “Well, yeah, I can see that. Not a lot of gay dudes in Oklahoma that do any advertisin’.”

“You know you’ve got to go,” Jensen said then, grinning.  “Well, _we’ve_ got to go. If I let you go alone you’ll chicken out and hide from him.”

Dean blinked, his eyebrows going up in surprise. “And how the hell would we do that? I tried out for that part usin’ your name, dumbass.”

Dean didn’t argue with the part about him chickening out. He knew it was pretty likely, no matter how much he had wanted Christian the moment their eyes met. Picking up a trick was effortless for Dean after doing it for near ten years, but picking up a guy he might actually want to see more than once was damned near impossible for him. He had never really managed to date a guy, despite how many he had ended up fucking over the years, and the lack of experience made it hard for him to take that leap and try it.

“You told the guy you were me?” Jensen asked, surprised.

“Well, no,” Dean admitted. “I didn’t talk to Christian at all, and the other guy didn’t ask, but I used your union card to get in the door.”

“Then we’re cool,” Jensen said, smirking. “You’ll have to tell Christian your real name anyway if you’re gonna hook up with him.”

“I never tell guys my real name,” Dean said.

“You do if they matter,” Jensen pointed out. “You told me your real name.”

“That’s because I was so shocked to see _me_ lookin’ a few years younger and dressed like a preppy with glasses,” Dean said, amused. “For a minute there I wondered if I’d had one too many hits on that bong Bubba Ray was passin’ around. That shit his uncle grew was intense.”

Jensen grinned at Dean, teasing, “You know you ought to wear glasses too, so don’t start.”

“Not hardly,” Dean said, laughing. “Hawks ask _me_ what that little speck on the horizon was.”

Jensen snickered. “You are so full of shit.”

Dean grinned. “I notice you don’t deny it’s true.” He took a drink of his beer, moving towards the hall.

“Arguing with you isn’t worth the effort,” Jensen said quickly, amused. “You never admit it when you lose.”

“That’s because I’m always right,” Dean said, smug as he turned to walk down the hall. His bedroom was on the left almost all the way to the end, across from Jensen’s room on the right, with the bathroom at the end. Both bedrooms were fairly small, but the bathroom took tiny to an art form. The bathtub was almost as big as the rest of the room, which Dean thought was just kind of sad.  There was just enough floor space for one person to strip for a shower, if they were careful about not dropping anything in the toilet. After the second time Dean had to fish his shirt out, he had learned to always close the lid before he got undressed.

“I’m takin’ a shower and washing this shit out of my hair,” Dean added, “so don’t use the water.”

“And while you shower I’ll find what we’re wearing to the club,” Jensen said cheerfully, smirking as he followed Dean into the hall. “I am so going with you tonight.”

Dean stopped at the bathroom door and turned to look at Jensen, exasperated. “I don’t remember sayin’ I was going, an’ if I was, I sure as hell wouldn’t let you pick my clothes.”

“Are you honestly gonna tell me you don’t want to hook up with Christian?” Jensen countered.

Dean just looked at Jensen for a moment before he said slowly, “I haven’t hooked up with a guy that didn’t pay me in _years_ , Jen.”

“Then don’t you think it’s about time you did?” Jensen asked. “Sam’s finally safe in college, and your dad’s off killing things that go bump in the night with Bobby keeping tabs on both of them for you. This is supposed to be your chance at something more than hunting, remember? You promised Sam you’d at least try.”

“Sam wants me to have a wife and kids,” Dean replied, “not a boyfriend.”

“If he knew you’re almost as gay as I am straight, he’d want you to have a boyfriend,” Jensen said then, looking a little exasperated.

“I like women,” Dean protested.

“Yeah, but you _love_ men,” Jensen pointed out. “This is me you’re talking to, bro. When Puck called you to tell you about Beth’s birthday a few months back, I was the one that held you afterwards while you cried, and I’m the one who poured you into bed that night and cleaned up the mess you made of your laptop and cell phone while I was at that wrap party.”

Dean looked away and took a long drink from his beer, then said quietly, “That was a low blow, Jen.”

Jensen sighed. “I’m sorry, Dean, but sometimes the truth hurts. I _know_ you’re lonely as hell, and you won’t go back to Lima because of Kurt, so it seems to me that means you need to find someone else.”

“Somebody else I won’t be able to stay with,” Dean murmured, looking down at the hallway’s worn tile floor. “That I’ll just have to tell goodbye sooner or later.”

“You don’t know that,” Jensen said, moving closer to Dean to put both hands on his shoulders as he ducked to catch Dean’s gaze with his own. “You’re allowed to be happy, Dean, but you _never_ will be if you don’t take the chance and meet somebody besides me. I love you, man, but we both know nothing is ever gonna happen with us.”

Dean looked into Jensen’s eyes for a moment and then admitted softly, “I’m not good with the whole breaking up thing, Jen. It damn near killed me the last time.”

“So take it slow,” Jensen said gently. “Meet the guy and get to know him. You don’t have to go home with him.”

“You’re assumin’ I’ll want to go slow,” Dean murmured, blushing as he looked away. “He’s hot as hell, and I haven’t really gotten laid in forever. If he wants me, I’m not sure I could make myself tell him no. I’ve never been real good at that part.”

“Then let him take you home and rock your world, Dean,” Jensen said, smiling suddenly. “Get laid and enjoy that hot Oklahoma plowboy, and worry about tomorrow when it gets here.”

Dean let out a little laugh and looked away, taking another drink of his beer before he said, “We’re both gonna feel like idiots if he’s straight.”

“His buddy wouldn’t have told you how to find him if he was straight,” Jensen said, pleased. “Besides, you said he was checking you out. He’s at least bi.”

“I’m never gonna hear the end of it if I don’t go, am I?”

“Nope,” Jensen said cheerfully, turning away towards the open door to his room. “But I just want you to be happy, so you can’t even get pissed about me nagging your shy ass into going.”

Dean laughed. “Lucky me.” He turned and went into the bathroom without another word, shutting the door behind him.

 

~*~

 

“This is such a bad idea,” Dean muttered for about the hundredth time, giving Jensen a dirty look as they waited in line to get into the club.

Dean was wearing his own clothes at least, and he had washed out the crap Jensen put in his hair so it was clean again – and God did he need to find somewhere to get it cut! – but he still felt like a fish out of water. His jeans were pretty snug but comfortable, and his Guns N’ Roses t-shirt was one of his favorites, but Jensen had talked him into tucking the shirt in, which he knew put his ass on display for anyone who cared to look. Add to that the small silver hoop earring in his right ear and the bandana that was in his right rear pocket, and he felt like he should be hunting a corner to turn a trick, not waiting to get into a club that seemed to be very popular with the under thirty crowd.

Strangers seldom picked out Dean as a guy that was bi with a leaning towards guys, which was how Jensen got him to wear the earring and the bandana. It only made sense to advertise a little if he was going out to pick up a guy, especially when he was going out with Jensen, who was really straighter than a flagpole even though his preppy clothes and his mannerisms often made people think just the opposite. That night Jensen was wearing khaki Dockers with a white t-shirt and an unbuttoned pale purple plaid short-sleeved shirt over it, and with his glasses and loafers and the prissy way he had styled his hair, he looked queer as a three dollar bill to Dean.

“It’ll be fine,” Jensen said quietly, dismissing Dean’s worries without a second thought. “Just tell them I’m your cousin. No fake names to remember or anything.”

“Hell, you might _be_ my cousin for all I know,” Dean muttered with a snort. “I never met any relatives except Dad’s sister in Jersey, and she wants nothing to do with us.”

Jensen gave Dean an amused look, obviously not making an effort to keep his voice down anymore as he said, “Stop worrying, Dean. Dating guys isn’t that difficult, I promise.” He smirked. “I mean, come on, teenaged _girls_ have no problem figuring it out, and you’ve got _fucking_ guys down pat, so you’re halfway there. Now you just have to try _talking_ to one.”

The girl just ahead of them in the line giggled, looking over her shoulder at them as Dean let out a surprised laugh and shoved Jensen, blushing very red. “Shut _up_ , asshole.”

“What happened to the mohawk, man?”

Dean and Jensen both looked towards the voice to see the blond guy Dean had talked to that afternoon was standing there grinning at them. He was wearing a pink paisley button-front shirt open over a dark green tank top with faded old jeans and snakeskin cowboy boots. He wore half a dozen necklaces and a pair of small hoop earrings, as well as several bracelets that had the patina of real silver and turquoise instead of the cheap fakes so many people wore.

“It was for the part,” Dean said, blushing still as he hoped the guy hadn’t heard Jensen talking about dating guys.

Jensen stuck his hand out to the blond guy, smiling. “I’m Jensen, and this is my cousin, Dean.”

“Steve,” the blond said, looking surprised as he shook Jensen’s hand, looking at Dean. “But Lloyd’s PA said _your_ name is Jensen.”

“He’s got the union card, man,” Dean said with a little shrug, offering Steve his hand. “I’m new in town and he’s not usin’ it right now, so I borrowed it to try and make a little easy money.”

Steve laughed and shook Dean’s hand. “Lucky they aren’t picture ID.”

Jensen took off his glasses and moved closer to Dean, grinning at Steve. “He could pass as me if he tried.”

Dean was a few inches shorter than Jensen and looked older, and Dean had a few more freckles and slightly lighter hair at the moment from being out in the southern California sun, but other than that he knew they looked nearly identical. Jensen’s dad had mistaken Dean for him once when Dean was visiting Jensen in Texas, and Sam was kind of freaked out by Jensen every time he saw him.

Steve stared at them for a minute or two and then said, “Dude, that’s kind of freaky.”

Jensen put his glasses back on and snickered. “Imagine how we felt when we ran into each other at a party, man. I had no clue I even _had_ a cousin Dean, much less one that looks like my twin brother. It was like a bad sitcom.”

“Not your twin,” Steve said with a laugh. “He’s got a good five years on you.”

“Three,” Dean said dryly. “I just have more fun than he does.”

The line moved and Dean started to follow it forward, but Steve grabbed his arm to stop him. “You don’t have to wait in line, man. You’re a friend of the band and we’re on in –“ He paused to glance at his watch and then laughed as he let go of Dean’s arm. “Shit! Three minutes. Come on.” He started quickly towards the door without waiting for an answer.

Dean gave Jensen a surprised look and Jensen rolled his eyes, getting behind Dean to shove him after Steve. “Just go, dumbass.”

Dean snorted but he started after Steve quickly.

 

~*~

 

The crowd seemed to be pretty young as a whole, and Dean had seen a lot of punk hairstyles and piercings as he followed Steve towards the stage, but the music was just Dean’s speed as _‘Welcome To The Jungle’_ blared over the loudspeakers. Dean noticed as they went that the club seemed to be very close to standing-room-only, so he was kind of glad that Steve had reserved them a tiny table near the stage. After Steve left them Dean looked around again and realized the club was so packed that they probably wouldn’t have been able to see the show at all if they were left to find their own way.

Christian and several others were already on the darkened stage getting their instruments plugged in when Dean and Jensen got to their table, and as soon as Steve joined them someone cut off the music as the lights on stage suddenly brightened. The slightly preppy clothes Christian had worn at the studio had been replaced by heavy biker boots, worn old jeans with big holes in the knees, and a suede leather vest that fit like a second skin. He was wearing small silver hoop earrings and several old-looking silver and turquoise bracelets that were almost identical to Steve’s, along with half a dozen narrow braided string bracelets in different colors and a battered straw cowboy hat that looked like it had been through hell twice topped it all off.

The crowd quieted a bit and then Dean’s eyebrows went up as a guy in ragged jeans and a black silk shirt jumped up on the stage to move to the microphone where Christian was standing. The guy turned towards the crowd and Dean just kind of stared as Johnny Depp stood about twenty feet away from him and introduced the band as Kane. Depp leapt back off the stage after shooting a wide grin at Christian, and then Christian looked at Steve and nodded, and the band launched into a fast-paced song with strong guitar and drum lines.

Dean hadn’t really expected to hear country music in a place called the Viper Room, especially not after he saw the crowd, but that was what Christian and his buddies played. Jensen was into country music so the show was right up his alley, but Dean was pretty surprised when he found himself enjoying it too. He soon found himself tapping his toe as he listened to Christian and his band play a song he figured was probably called ‘ _Oklahoma State of Mind’_. The music was obviously country, sure, but it had a strong southern rock flair to it that Dean liked.

Dean was amazed by how talented Christian and Steve were as he watched them perform, and had to admire the way Christian worked the crowd with a sexy little grin that Dean was sure had gotten him laid as often as his fame had. He looked damned good strutting his stuff, and his expression as he flirted with some of the ladies in the crowd made it obvious he knew it.

By the end of the second song, which Christian had said was called ‘ _The Chase_ ’, Dean had decided he really liked the music and he was wondering if Kane had put out any CDs. If the television wasn’t on there was usually music playing in the little house he shared with Jensen, and Jensen seemed to enjoy the band’s music so Dean figured it might be a good compromise between his classic hard rock and Jensen’s Kenny Chesney. Kenny wasn’t really that bad, and a lot better than some of the crap Jensen liked, but Dean was still getting pretty tired of listening to the guy. It seemed like Jensen played the same two albums every single day, to the point that Dean was pretty sure he could have played any of them if he tried, despite the fact he didn’t really like country music.

Christian laid aside his guitar when the third song, ‘ _Sweet Carolina Rain’,_ was done and then moved to grab a half-empty bottle of Jack from behind one of the amps to take a deep drink. He walked back to the microphone after he put the bottle down and then talked to the crowd a moment before he nodded to Steve and the band went into a song Christian said was called ‘ _Spirit Boy_ ’. He obviously loved the song, and he soon began to prowl around the stage with his microphone in hand, looking like a wet dream come to life as far as Dean was concerned.

Dean was smirking by the time they got to what seemed to be the end of the song, but Steve and the band just kept on playing while Christian danced, and Dean’s eyebrows rose when he recognized the beat and moves of a power-building ritual. He had seen it performed once when he and Sam spent a week on a reservation with their dad, hunting an angry spirit that was terrorizing the tribe after a couple of teenaged boys desecrated its tomb. Christian obviously knew what he was doing, lips moving as he danced while Steve and the drummer started to chant, and Dean wondered if he really was part Cherokee like the song’s lyrics had suggested.

The song finally ended and the crowd went nuts, clapping and cheering while Christian took his hat off and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. “Whoo! That was fun!” He jammed his hat back on and moved to grab his bottle of Jack for another swig, then put the bottle back down in plain sight by his microphone stand. “Glad y’all like that one,” Christian said then, grinning at the crowd. “Me an’ Stevie wrote that right after we met, an’ I kinda enjoy it. Takes me back to my roots a little bit.”

“It’s going to be on the album, right?” Steve said into his microphone, grinning widely at Christian.

Christian laughed and looked at Steve. “Well hell yeah it’ll be on the album, you dumbass!”

The crowd laughed at that, and Dean had to laugh with them.

Christian grinned at the crowd and reached for his guitar as he said, “We’re gonna slow it down for a minute so I can catch my breath after all that dancin’. This is one I wrote a few months back, but I never played it on stage before so y’all are gonna have to let me know what you think when we’re done.”

Christian started to play a simple melody that Steve backed up perfectly even though the rest of the band stayed silent, and then Christian began to sing. “ _Can I cut in on a dance? You ain't gonna find what you're lookin' for in that little Mexican. You can't mix your tears with those from an agave plant, you see I've danced with him myself and he's never been a friend.”_

Dean’s eyebrows rose at that but he smiled, pleased even though all the songs so far had been about chasing women. He had never met a straight man who would admit to dancing with another guy, especially while trying to pick up a girl.

“ _You go believin' in your Lancelot? Well, it's all in vain_ ,” Christian sang, “ _And you're chasin' picket fences, there's always hell to pay. I met many a girl in here with the same story line. All them boys on those white horses don't know how to ride. … But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup to be free. I got a faint smell of cheap perfume and a hint of gasoline. See I'm a different kind of knight, you're gonna find your fairy tales are lies. I don't have a white horse. But you can come along for the ride.”_

The song picked up a little speed there as Christian moved with the music, looking serious and seeming to feel the song down to his bones as he played and sang the next verse. _“She said, ‘I'm tired of living life in a romance book, I think chivalry's dead. And I ain't gonna look for them roundtable boys on the white horse that can't get the story right.’ I said, ‘As luck would have it I was tossed by the throne. I let my merry hair down, some years ago, and I traded my coat of arms for a guitar and some broken yellow lines.’ "_

Steve joined him for the next chorus, singing quiet backup to Christian’s strong lead vocals. “ _But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup to be free. I got a faint smell of cheap perfume and a hint of gasoline. You see I'm a different kind of knight. You're gonna find your fairy tales are lies. I don't have a white horse. But you can come along for the ride.”_

Christian and Steve played through an instrumental break and then Christian went on, his gaze drifting over the crowd to rest on Dean. “ _She kinda shifted in her seat a little bit, then thought of every eye on her bee-stung lips, and she raised that glass and the lime and she kissed them goodbye. She said, ‘Promise me you'll take it slow, and swear no talk of tomorrow, and when you feel me tighten around you, well you can let the hammer down.’ ”_

Dean did a little shifting in his seat of his own, staring into Christian’s eyes as Christian and Steve sang the chorus again. _“And I got a paint outside with enough giddyup to be free. I got a faint smell of cheap perfume and a hint of gasoline. See I'm a different kind of knight, you're gonna find your fairy tales are all lies. I don't have a white horse... Whoa, but you can come along for the ride.”_

The music trailed off and then the crowd erupted in cheers and applause as Christian blinked and then looked around, looking surprised and pleased as he let out a little laugh. He waited for the crowd to settle down a bit and then said with a grin, “I’ll have to remember y’all liked that one, thanks.” There were cheers and laughter, and then Christian looked over at Steve, still leaning close to the microphone as he asked, “What’s next, man? I forgot the set list.”

“Beats me, Chris,” Steve said with a laugh. “You never gave it to me to begin with.” He looked over at the drummer. “Do you know, Jerry?”

The drummer laughed and said something Dean couldn’t hear as he started to play, and then Steve grinned widely as he quickly switched his acoustic guitar for the electric that was in a stand behind him.

Christian grinned and let his own guitar swing around to his back, looking back at the crowd as Steve began to play and people started to whistle and cheer. “This one is Stevie’s theme song.”

Dean laughed softly, surprised but pleased as he recognized the song, which was one of his favorites by Bon Jovi.

“ _Hey hey hey, yeah, yeah, yeah! Seven days of Saturday is all that I need. Got no use for Sunday, 'cause I don't rest in peace. Don't need no Monday or the rest of the week, I spend a lot of time in bed, but baby I don't like to sleep, no. I won't lie to you, I'm never gonna cry to you. I'll probably drive you wild eight days a week… Until I'm six feet under, baby I don't need a bed. Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Till they roll me over and lay my bones to rest, gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead!_ ”

Jensen reached over and poked Dean in the side then and Dean looked towards him in surprise to see Jensen was smirking as he leaned in and said, “You still mad I made you come, Dean?”

Dean laughed, feeling a bit sheepish. “Naw, man. It’s cool.”

“You’re welcome,” Jensen said, smug as he stood and leaned in close so they could talk easily, resting one hand on Dean’s shoulder. “I’m getting a beer. You want one?”

“Corona with lime, and a shot,” Dean said quickly, grinning.

“Jack or Cuervo?” Jensen asked with a laugh.

“Jack,” Dean replied. “I’m not trying to get plastered.”

Jensen just laughed again and headed for the bar, and Dean turned back towards the stage to see Christian was watching him again as he sang, looking just a little curious despite his grin. “ _This ain't no slumber party, got no time for catching z's. If they say that that ain't healthy, well then living's a disease! … Well, we're never going to die baby. Come on let me drive you crazy. We'll make every night another New Year's Eve…  Until I'm six  feet under, baby I don't need a bed. Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Till they roll me over and lay my bones to rest, I’m gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead, sleep when I'm dead, sleep when I'm dead! Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead!_ ” __

Dean grinned and settled into a comfortable sprawl in his chair to watch Christian sing, enjoying the way he moved to the song. Christian’s gaze strayed to him fairly often through the rest of the song, and by the time Jensen returned with the drinks Dean was beginning to think he might not be going home with Jensen at all that night.

Christian drew Dean’s attention like a magnet, and Christian had let his gaze linger on Dean often enough that Dean was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

 

~*~

 

Christian let the last notes of ‘ _Little Long-Haired Outlaw’_ trail off and then he grinned at the crowd as he swung his guitar around to hang on his back. “That one was written by a buddy of my dad’s that’s been like family to me as long as I can remember. They rode on the rodeo circuit together for a few years, and got to be such good buddies that my daddy named me after him. Some of y’all might have heard of him… Chris LeDoux?”

There were a few cheers and whistles from the crowd and Christian grinned wider as he reached down to get his bottle of Jack. “Well, it’s his birthday tomorrow, so I wanted to close out with somethin’ by him as a kinda tribute. That one just kinda seemed to fit with this crowd tonight, so I hope ya’ll liked it.” He tipped up his bottle and drained it, then added, “See ya’ll around. We’re gone.”

Christian turned away from the microphone, heading for the side of the stage where Steve was already leaving with his guitars as Johnny jumped back up on the stage to take his place at the microphone. “Everyone, give it up for _Kane_!”

The crowd cheered and hollered, and Christian grinned widely as he stopped to wave to them one more time, then walked quickly off the stage as Johnny started his spiel to introduce the next act, Saint Dickshift, which was already moving into place.

Christian dropped his bottle in a trash can that was by the stage, heading for the back room that doubled as a dressing room, where Steve was laying his Gibson into a battered old case. Jason was in Arizona visiting a friend that was getting married the next day, and Craig, Jerry, and Tim were already long gone. Tim had given Craig and Jerry a ride to the club and Tim had a date that night, so Craig and Jerry had left with him so they could get a ride home before Steve got tired of partying and found a couch to crash on for the night. Steve would probably still be going strong at dawn, so it didn’t surprise Christian that Craig and Jerry opted to ride with Tim. Craig wasn’t really the bar-hopping kind and didn’t like tagging along with Steve after a performance, and Jerry had to work the next day.

That meant it was just Steve and Christian in the dressing room as they both packed up their guitars, and they were quiet for a few minutes until Steve suddenly spoke up. “You want me to take your guitar in the Bronco with me?”

Christian looked over at Steve as he buckled his guitar case. “Why would you need to do that?”

“’Cause it’ll be kinda awkward carrying it home on your Harley with Dean riding bitch,” Steve pointed out, grinning as he buckled his Fender neatly into its case.

Christian laughed. “Who said I’m takin’ him home?”

Steve laughed. “You two did, staring at each other half the night.”

“I wasn’t starin’,” Christian protested, even though he could feel his face heating up.

Steve snorted, grinning. “Uh-huh, right. And you didn’t sing the last verse of ‘ _Different Kind of Knight_ ’ to him, either, or half of the rest of the set after that.” He smirked. “Including ‘ _In The Darkness’_ and ‘ _Rattlesnake Smile_ ’.”

Christian’s face flamed a little hotter and he looked down as he fiddled with one of the stickers on his guitar case, embarrassed but smiling slightly. “Well, maybe a little bit.”

“Maybe my ass,” Steve said, laughing. “You two were practically drooling over each other, and you haven’t even said hi to him yet. Get your ass out there and score, man.”

Christian looked up quickly, his eyes widening. “Oh hell no. There’s gonna be girls out there still hopin’ to dance up on me, an’ someone’s _sure_ to post about it on one of the fan club boards if they see me pick up a guy. You _know_ how our fans are, and it won’t be a day before my momma sees it. She’s always keepin’ an eye on the rumors and callin’ me to see if they’re true or not, an’ I can’t lie to her.”

“If you don’t go out there and at least say hello to the guy, I’ll just go have Charlie bring him and his cousin back here,” Steve threatened, looking surprised and annoyed. “He came all the way out here just to see _you_ , Chris.”

“Lots of people out there came to see me,” Christian said, moving away from his guitar to go grab a bottle of water out of the small fridge in one corner.

“Yeah, but there ain’t a lot of people out there that I _told_ to be here,” Steve said just a bit sharply, making Christian look at him in surprise. “I asked about that bandana of his you were so interested in earlier, which _wasn’t_ just for the part, so I told Dean you’d be here tonight and to come by and see you.”

“What the fuck did you do that for?” Christian blurted, scowling even though he felt a little thrill at hearing Dean really was a bottom boy. He had no interest in letting some guy he barely knew fuck him, but he had always enjoyed being the one doing the fucking with girls and figured it wouldn’t be too much different with a guy, beyond the obvious.

“Because you weren’t gonna do it,” Steve said, scowling right back at him. “You haven’t really dated anyone in _months_ , Chris. That’d be fine if just fucking the occasional groupie worked for you, but we both know it _doesn’t_ and I’m tired of you pretending you aren’t lonely as hell.”

Christian stared at Steve for a long moment and then took a drink of his water, looking away. “Maybe I learned my lesson last time, man.”

“That’s bullshit.” Christian looked back at Steve, who was obviously right on the edge of really getting pissed. “Dean’s _not_ that airhead bitch you fell so hard for in high school, and he’s not the little starfucker who stole your scripts to sell them on eBay, either, so it’s _really_ shitty of you to hold the shit they pulled against him without even giving the guy a chance.” Christian looked down at his water, flushing again as Steve went on. “He was nervous as hell when he got here, and from what I heard his cousin telling him it’s because he couldn’t resist you even though he hasn’t been dating guys either. I never tried it myself, but dating a guy can’t be that different from dating a girl, and it’s time for you to stop just looking at men and either fish or cut bait. It’s obvious you two have a mutual appreciation thing going on, so it’s not gonna kill you to get to know him. Ask him if he wants to go grab a burger with you, and if you two don’t hit it off Shelly can call him a cab afterwards.”

“Alright,” Christian said quietly. “I’ll talk to him, but I’m not promisin’ any more than that.”

“About damned time,” Steve muttered, scowling as he headed for the door that led to the bar. “I’ll have Charlie bring him and his cousin back here.”

Christian just turned away and started pacing restlessly up and down the small dressing room, fighting the urge to run out the back door while Steve was gone.

 

~*~

 

Dean and Jensen were waiting on their third round of the night, but Dean had hardly noticed the drinks he downed. He wasn’t getting drunk yet, just barely buzzed and relaxed, and he wasn’t going to be drinking much more. He and Jensen had taken a cab to the club, sure, but that didn’t mean he wanted to try and make his way home across LA while he was shitfaced.

Dean was bored by the next group’s music, but by the time the waitress returned with their drinks he had decided that Sam would love it. The kids on stage looked a lot like the wannabe rentboys Dean had been stuck with at the studio, and the music they were playing sounded like the stuff Sam called alternative. Dean wasn’t clear yet on what Sam thought it was an alternative _to_ , exactly, but he was sure it wasn’t anything he wanted to listen to. Life was depressing enough without listening to a bunch of teenagers scream and whine about pretty girls ignoring them.

“Here you go,” the waitress said with a smile, giving Dean and Jensen inviting looks as she bent forward enough to give them a good view of her breasts, which were displayed to full advantage by her low-cut blouse as she leaned across the table towards them. “A shot of Jack, a Corona with lime, and another Heineken.”

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Jensen said with a little grin, enjoying the view as the girl put his Heineken down in front of him.

“Thanks,” Dean echoed, reaching for his shot to down it and then put it back on the girl’s tray.

Jensen reached for his wallet to get out a twenty, putting it on the tray too. “Keep the change,” he said, giving the girl a look that made all kinds of promises.

“You’re such a sweetie,” the girl purred, running one hand over Jensen’s shoulder before she turned away to saunter back towards the bar, hips swaying.

Dean watched her go for a moment, admiring her ass in the cut-off jean shorts she wore, and then glanced at Jensen and snickered at the predatory look on his face. “Dude, you need to get out more.”

Jensen laughed and looked at Dean. “Pot calling kettle, man! I take a girl home a hell of a lot more often than you do.”

“That’s ‘cause your taste sucks,” Dean pointed out with a smirk, reaching for his beer. “You take home skanks I wouldn’t even let blow me in an alley.”

“That’s because you’re _gay_ ,” Jensen said, rolling his eyes.

“Not hardly,” Dean disagreed, “I just appreciate _all_ the cookies in the box.” He smirked. “And I know better than to take home the generic crap when I could have Chips Ahoy instead.”

Jensen laughed, just shaking his head as he reached for his beer to take a drink.

Someone tapped Dean on his shoulder then and he looked up in surprise to see a big black guy with beaded braids was standing next to him. “You Dean?” he asked, looking kind of bored as he flipped back his long braids, making the beads on the ends of them rattle.

“Yeah,” Dean said slowly. “Why do you ask?”

The big guy smiled slightly. “Den you de man I be lookin’ for,” he said, his Jamaican accent strong but easily understood. “Stevie says you a friend. He wanted me to be askin’ you an’ your cousin to go hang out wit him an’ Kane.”

Dean looked at Jensen in surprise and saw Jensen was already standing up. “C’mon, don’t even try to say you don’t wanna, bro,” Jensen said, smirking.

Dean let out a little snort of a laugh and stood, reaching for his beer. “If this backfires, I’m blamin’ you, Jen.”

“You always do anyway,” Jensen said cheerfully, grinning at Dean and then at the big Jamaican. “Lead the way, friend.”

The Jamaican laughed and turned to walk away through the crowd without another word, and Jensen was quick to follow him. Dean trailed along behind them, wondering if he was making a big mistake.

 

~*~

 

Christian smiled at the text from David asking how the show went, and quickly tapped out, ‘ _gr8 bro c u 2moro_ ’ and hit send. He heard the door that led into the club open then and looked up from his cell phone to see the guy Dean had been sitting with walk in, looking back over his shoulder.

“Don’t make me drag you in here, Dean,” the guy said, making Steve laugh.

“He trying to wuss out on you again, Jensen?” Steve asked, smirking as Dean finally followed Jensen into the room, blushing very red and looking embarrassed.

Jensen laughed and nodded. “As usual.” He took a sip of his Heineken as he walked over to take a seat in one of the empty chairs near Steve. “You’d think he knew who Christian Kane _was_ or something, but no. He’s just shy as all hell.”

Christian let out a little laugh and then put his phone away as he said dryly, “An’ I’m sure it helps a whole hell of a lot for you to keep givin’ him shit about it.”

“Thank you!” Dean said quickly, looking surprised but pleased even though he was still blushing.

Christian smiled at Dean, meeting his gaze and then just kind of staring. He hadn’t been close enough before to see that Dean’s eyes were a sparkling hazel that had a hint of jade green to them, or the way they gave away his emotions plainly. Something about them captivated Christian completely, and for a moment he forgot that they had an interested audience as he just stood there and stared into Dean’s eyes, watching their green-tinted hazel depths slowly shift from shy interest to something warm and inviting.

Steve snickered after a few minutes, making Dean and Christian both blush and look away from each other as Steve smirked at Jensen and said, “They’re kinda cute.”

Jensen grinned at Steve. “Oh yeah. The way they keep staring at each other would be adorable if I didn’t have the sneaking suspicion they’d never say a word without you and me pushing them into it.”

Steve laughed and lifted his bottle of Budweiser towards Jensen, who grinned and toasted him with his own Heineken. “What would they do without us, huh?”

“Sleep alone?” Jensen half asked, smirking, and then he took a slow drink of his beer while Steve snickered and nodded.

Christian looked back over at Dean, who was blushing very red and looking somewhere between amused and annoyed. Christian knew his own expression was pretty similar, and he made a decision. He stood up before he could change his mind, still watching Dean as he asked, “You ever ride a Harley, Dean?”

Dean looked at Christian, surprised. “Not in a few years.”

Christian smiled. “You interested in tryin’ it again? I was thinkin’ we could leave these two comedians to keep each other company an’ go find us somewhere with some decent food. Burgers sound good to you?”

Dean looked surprised for a moment longer and then slowly smiled. “You sober enough to drive?”

“Hell yeah,” Christian said with a little laugh, digging his keys out of his pocket. “I didn’t drink that much Jack, maybe a third of a bottle.” __

“He’s nowhere near wasted, Dean,” Steve agreed, grinning widely. “I’ve seen him ride home safe on that thing after most of a bottle.”

Dean looked at Jensen. “You gonna be alright gettin’ a cab on your own, bro?”

“I’ll give him a ride home,” Steve volunteered, still grinning. “I don’t mind.”

“See? All settled.” Jensen smirked at Dean. “Stop looking for an excuse to say no and go get your ass on that man’s Harley.”

Dean blushed very red. “One of these days, Jen, you’re gonna run into someone that knocks _you_ for a loop, and I hope I’m there to give you hell over her.”

Jensen just laughed and took a drink of his Heineken as Steve snickered.

Christian grinned at Dean, moving towards the door and feeling a lot more confident. Dean had as much as said that _Christian_ had knocked him for a loop, which put a new light on things. Knowing Dean was feeling just as off-balance as he was made it a lot easier to go with whatever it was that had flared up between them when their gazes met across that studio. “C’mon, man. Let’s get out of here. I know a little dive that sells the best bacon cheese burgers this side of Austin.”

Dean finished off his beer as he moved to follow Christian, still blushing but smiling a bit. “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”

Christian pretended to ignore Steve’s snickering as he walked quickly to the back door and out, very aware of Dean following at his heels. He wanted to know if the instant attraction he still felt so strong between them would lead to more, so he was glad that Dean was willing to give him a chance to find out.

 

~*~

 

Dean dropped his beer bottle in a trash can by the back door and then followed Christian outside, stopping in surprise when he saw three young women were waiting for them. The single yellow light bulb above the rear exit of the club didn’t put off a lot of light, but there was enough to easily see the two dark-eyed blondes that looked enough alike to be sisters standing with a pretty redhead with pale eyes Dean thought were probably blue.

Dean thought the women must be barely legal since they had their hands stamped to show they could drink inside the club and the gorillas on the door carded everyone who walked by them, but they all looked younger. The redhead looked to be the oldest of the three, but the two blondes could have easily passed for sixteen if they tried. All three of them were dressed for clubbing in tight skirts and halter-tops that showed off their complete lack of bras to good advantage, and they wore a little too much makeup with huge dangly earrings that reminded Dean of the girls in old heavy metal videos he had seen.

“Ladies, you gotta quit doin’ this,” Christian said, looking kind of worried and just a little annoyed. “This ain’t the kind of town where a pretty girl is safe waitin’ around behind a club after dark.”

“Charlie said he thought you weren’t planning to come out into the club tonight,” the redhead said quickly, “and we wanted to tell you how great the new song is, Christian.”

“It’s like, _totally_ awesome,” one of the blondes said, beaming, and Dean mentally revised his estimation of her IQ at least twenty points lower. He hadn’t been around such a ditzy-sounding blonde in a very long time. “You should totally put it on the album too.”

“There’s not enough room on one album for all of ‘em, Kayla,” Christian said. “And quit tryin’ to change the subject! You ladies are gonna make me be mean to keep you from waitin’ back here, aren’t you?”

“You couldn’t be mean if you tried,” the other blonde, smiling at Christian. “You’re the sweetest guy who performs here except maybe Stevie.”

“I ain’t gonna be sweet if you keep this up,” Christian threatened, frowning. He moved to the side and gestured towards the door as he said firmly, “You ladies go bang on that door and get back inside where Steve can keep you outta trouble, and pass the word to the other ladies in the fan club that I’m gonna tell the boys on the front door not to let in anyone I catch waitin’ back here. I hate doin’ that to you girls after how sweet you’ve been to me an’ Stevie, but I swear I will. I’d rather make y’all mad than find out one of you got hurt or _worse_ ‘cause you wanted to talk to us, and I know Stevie feels the same.”

The women meekly went to the door, looking unhappy as Kayla banged on the door.

Dean moved to stand by Christian, watching and waiting with him, and then a moment later the door opened and Steve leaned out, looking surprised and then annoyed as he moved aside to let the women in. “I thought we told you girls to stop hanging out in dark parking lots.”

The redhead had the grace to look sheepish as she murmured, “We won’t do it again, Stevie.”

The blondes mumbled agreement as they passed Steve to go inside and Steve snorted. “You’d better not!” He watched them go past him, waiting a moment before he looked towards Christian as he added with a sudden sly grin, “Enjoy yourself tonight, Chris. Me and Jensen are gonna head down to an open mike bar he knows of on the south side, and then I’m probably gonna crash at his place since he lives out that way.”

Dean blushed a bit at Steve and Jensen’s blatant attempt to get him and Christian alone.

Christian just snorted and turned away from the door to start towards the Harley that was parked nearby. “You need to have a talk with Charlie before you go.  He’s the one that told the girls I wasn’t goin’ out front tonight. I know they’re regulars an’ that he knows I don’t mind ‘em hangn’ out with me, but he’s gonna get them hurt, encouragin’ ‘em to wait around back here.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Steve agreed. “See you.” He went back inside without another word, closing the door with a loud click as the lock engaged again.

Dean followed Christian over to the bike, which was an older Harley painted shining black everywhere it wasn’t chrome, except for a ghostly running horse on the gas tank. The horse was done in pewter shades of frosty-looking metal-fleck paint, and Dean had to smile when he realized it had darker markings on the ears and chest. Christian’s song ‘ _Different Kind of Knight_ ’ had mentioned a paint outside, and Dean wondered just how much ‘giddyup’ the Harley needed to make Christian feel free.

Christian reached for a plain black helmet that had the strap fastened snugly around the bike’s rear seat to keep it in place, deftly unbuckling it and then looking at Dean as he held it out towards him. “I only got one helmet, but you’re welcome to it. I hate the damned thing.”

“Do I have to wear it?” Dean asked, amused.

Christian blinked and then laughed. “Hell no, not if you don’t want to. I sure as hell won’t wear one after dark, I don’t care what the fine is.” He turned away to walk around the bike towards the battered old Bronco parked on the other side of it, digging into his pocket for keys. “Steve can carry the damned thing home, he’s the one made me buy it.”

Dean snickered and stood by the Harley, watching while Chris unlocked the Bronco and tossed the helmet and his hat into the back seat, then slammed the door and locked it again. “He wear it when he rides with you?”

Christian snickered, walking back around the bike as he ran one hand through his sweaty hair as if to try and restore it to some semblance of order. “He’s scared shitless of ridin' with me.” He swung a leg over the bike and settled into the seat, putting a key into the ignition as he grinned at Dean. “That’s why he’s drivin’ my Bronco.”

Dean laughed and moved to climb onto the bike behind Christian, blushing a bit but trying to convince himself that riding with Christian was just like riding with a biker trick. Quite a few had picked him up over the years since that first memorable biker that showed Dean the ropes as a rentboy, and he had been lucky enough to only run into trouble with one once. He was never shy with them, but that was mostly because he knew he’d never see them again so it didn’t matter what they thought about him.

It was a lot harder for Dean to get on the back of Christian’s bike though, and when Dean figured out why it made him blush even more and have fresh doubts about how smart it was to go anywhere with Christian at all.

It already mattered to him what Christian thought about him.

 

~*~

 

Dean settled slowly onto the bike behind Christian, close but obviously trying not to touch him very much, and Christian decided that just wasn’t gonna cut it.

Christian turned his head to look at Dean as he started the bike, and he was moving his hand to point out where Dean’s feet should go when he saw Dean had already put them there. He noticed then that Dean was still wearing the battered combat boots that he had worn for the open call that afternoon, and that made him remember something else he had noticed Dean was still wearing.

Christian raised his gaze to Dean’s, not even thinking before he asked, “You know what kinda advertisin’ that bandana of yours is doin’?”

Dean’s eyes widened a bit and he blushed very red again, but he didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yeah, I do. Do you?”

“Yep,” Christian said, smiling slowly. He just looked into Dean’s eyes a moment and then said quietly, “You gotta relax if we’re gonna get anywhere, Dean. I don’t bite.”

“I’m not worried about gettin’ bit,” Dean murmured, still blushing. “I’m just kinda out of practice. I haven’t done this in a long time.”

Christian’s eyebrows went up. “Riding a Harley, or bein’ with a guy?”

“Both, pretty much,” Dean replied with a little bit of a laugh. “Just not at the same time.”

Christian grinned. “Now you made me curious, but I’m gonna be nice an’ not ask.”

Dean looked at him for a moment before he said quietly, “It was rough when me and the guy broke up ‘cause my family had to move, and I haven’t really tried since then. Not with guys, anyway. I don’t wanna go through that again.”

“And girls?” Christian asked, curious. The way Dean had said that made it sound like there had only been one guy, which fit pretty well with what Steve had said he overheard earlier.

Dean shrugged. “I get laid when I want, but there hasn’t been anyone important.” He let out a little snort. “Hell, to be honest, half the time I don’t even know their names.”

“It’s easier that way,” Christian said softly. “No strings, nothin’ but a quick fuck an’ then goodbye.” Dean looked a little surprised at that even though he nodded, and Christian smiled crookedly. “Sounds like maybe we got a few things in common.”

“You dated a guy in high school too?” Dean asked, curious and smiling slightly as he seemed to relax a bit.

“Nope, but I had a girl that busted my heart all to hell,” Christian said quietly. “Been playin’ the field ever since.” He paused and then admitted, “But I never dated a guy before, just wanted to a few times.”

Dean’s eyes widened and then he smiled, the curious expression in his hazel eyes turning into something gentle and warm even as he murmured teasingly, “Now you made me feel all _special_.”

Christian laughed, surprised and feeling his face start to heat up. “You oughta.” He turned to face forward again, leaning to straighten the bike and then hitting the kickstand with his heel to put it up as he added, “And you’ll probably wanna hold on a little better than you are, Dean. I like goin’ fast.”

"Fast is good with me." Dean’s hands moved to settle on Christian’s hips and then he shifted a little closer to him as he asked softly, “This alright?”

“Much better,” Christian replied, smiling as he started the bike towards the exit.

 

~*~

 

“Well look who the cat dragged in,” a cheerful feminine voice said.

Dean looked towards the voice as he settled into the booth Christian had chosen, which was all the way in the back of a tiny little diner that felt as familiar as Dean's beloved old boots as soon as he walked inside the door. He and Sam had eaten in a thousand places just like it over the years and he had always loved them, even though Sam often complained about the food. Even when the food wasn’t great it was better than Dean having to cook something Sam was sure to complain about anyway, and the waitresses were usually friendly, which was enough to make Dean happy. Sometimes the only smiling face he saw all day was a waitress, so he had a definite soft spot for them.

That particular diner was nearly empty because of the late hour. The only other patrons were two teenaged boys sitting in a booth on the other side of the diner, giving Dean and Christian plenty of privacy to talk. There was a pretty older lady walking towards them from the kitchen doorway as she took out a pad of paper and a pen, smiling happily. She was wearing jeans and a plain blue polo shirt with a name tag pinned to it, and as she got closer Dean saw that the tag said her name was Shelly. “I haven’t seen you in a couple weeks, Christian. I was beginning to think you had forgotten us.”

Christian smiled warmly at Shelly as he said, “I didn’t forget you, Shelly. I’ve just been busy with the show an’ haven’t had a chance to get out this way since our last gig.”

“Likely story,” Shelly teased as she stopped at their table. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Dean,” Christian replied, still smiling. “He’s new in town so I decided to show him the diner with the best burgers in a thousand miles.”

Shelly laughed. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr Kane.”

Christian grinned at Shelly. “It ain’t flattery when it’s the truth.”

“I guess that means you’ll want your usual?” Shelly asked, looking pleased.

“Yeah darlin’, an’ a root beer about the size of a bucket,” Christian agreed, grinning still. “I’m dry as a popcorn fart.”

“Gotcha,” Shelly said with a little laugh, jotting something down and then looking at Dean with a smile. “And for you, sweetie?”

“What’s he havin’?” Dean asked, curious.

“Double meat cheeseburger on a toasted bun with triple bacon and triple cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, bread and butter pickles, mayo, and ketchup,” Shelly replied quickly, smiling.  “And fresh homemade onion rings on the side.”

“You got marinara to dunk ‘em in, ma’am?” Dean asked hopefully.

Shelly laughed and nodded. “Yeah, we do. You want some with an order of rings?”

“Oh hell yeah,” Dean said with a laugh. “Just make it a double on everything, please ma’am. What kinda root beer do y’all have?”

“A&W,” Shelly said with an amused smile, jotting down the order.

“I’ll take a bucket too, then,” Dean said, grinning and pleased. “I was gonna go with tea and a few slices of lemon if you didn’t have the good stuff.”

Shelly laughed again and looked at Christian as she teased, “You two must get along great.” She didn’t give Christian a chance to answer before she turned away to head to the kitchen and added, “I’ll be right back with your drinks, boys.”

“We’ll be waitin’,” Dean said with a grin, watching her go for a moment before he looked back at Christian and saw the surprised look on his face. “What?”

Christian let out a little laugh and said quietly, “Nothin’, just a little surprised is all.” He paused and then added, “I never met anyone else that dunked their onion rings in marinara. Stevie always calls me a freak for doin’ it”

“Jensen says the same thing about me,” Dean said with a chuckle, “but then he’ll do somethin’ like eat his fries dipped in _Miracle Whip_ , so I figure he’s got no room to talk.”

Christian snickered. “Steve’s nearly as bad, puttin’ Ranch dressing on _everything_.”

“My little brother can top that,” Dean said, grinning at Christian. “He likes dippin’ his fries in a strawberry milkshake.”

Christian wrinkled his nose, laughing slightly. “Oh man, that’s _nasty._ Don’t tell me stuff like that before I _eat_.”

“Try eatin’ while he’s _doin’_ that kinda thing,” Dean said, snickering. “It’s almost as bad as him puttin’ chocolate milk in his Cap’N Crunch.”

“Hey now, that’s good,” Christian protested with a little laugh, surprised. “I been doin’ that since I started school.”

“Then you’re a freak just like Sammy,” Dean teased.

“Maybe you’re the freak,” Christian replied quickly, grinning. “We’re the normal ones.”

Dean grinned. “In your dreams, maybe.”

Christian smirked, his blue eyes suddenly going wicked and sparkling as he murmured, “Might be fun havin’ you in my dreams, now that you mention it...”

Dean laughed, surprised and blushing suddenly, completely at a loss for words.

 

~*~

 

Christian lingered over the last of his root beer, smiling as he watched Dean use what was left of the last onion ring to wipe out the bowl of marinara sauce. He had been out with girls who tried ordering the same as him to impress him, especially if they knew he liked a girl with a good appetite, but Dean had obviously enjoyed every bite of his dinner so Christian was pretty sure he hadn’t ordered it just because Christian liked it.

Dean popped the last bite of the onion ring into his mouth and then glanced at Christian. “What? Did I get sauce on my nose or somethin’?”

Christian’s smile widened as he put his nearly empty glass back on the table. “Nah, I was just enjoyin’ the view.”

Dean blushed slightly at that but he smiled as he picked up his own drink. “Nice to know.” He took a slow swallow, his gaze never leaving Christian’s.

Christian watched Dean finish his root beer, waiting until Dean put the glass down before he murmured, “What do you say to gettin’ out of here?”

“I’d like that,” Dean replied with a smile.

Christian returned the smile and slid out of the booth, standing and digging into his back pocket for his wallet. Dean followed his example, scooting to the outside of the booth to stand and then reaching for his wallet too. Christian opened his own wallet as he looked at Dean. “Put that up, I got it this time.”

Dean looked at him for a moment and then nodded slightly as he tucked his wallet back into his pocket. “Next time’s on me, then.”

“You can even pick where,” Christian agreed, taking a twenty out of his wallet. He put the wallet away again as he wondered if there really would be a next time, and where Dean might want to eat. He was sure that wherever it was, he’d be able to find something he liked on the menu. They had talked quite a bit while they ate, and he had learned that Dean was terrific company and that they liked a lot of the same things. Christian couldn’t wait to learn more about him, which was an unfamiliar feeling to say the least. He couldn’t remember the last time he picked up someone planning to get laid and actually wanted to talk to them. He usually just went for pretty and willing and sidestepped any hint of getting to know them.

“Okay,” Dean agreed, smiling.

Christian grinned at him and turned away to head towards the counter, where Shelly was sipping at a cup of coffee while she kept an eye on the teenagers that were still sitting at a table near the door. He barely heard Dean following him, his boots surprisingly quiet on the diner’s tile floors, and he couldn’t keep from grinning a little wider.

Shelly smiled and set her coffee aside when Christian walked up to the register, moving to open the cash drawer without bothering to ring anything up as she said, “That’ll be fifteen even, Christian.”

Christian smiled at Shelly and passed her the twenty. “Keep the change, darlin’.”

Shelly put the twenty onto the drawer, taking out a five to tuck it into her pocket as she gave Christian a pleased smile and teased, “I love you too, honey.”

Christian laughed and turned to go, reaching into the front pocket of his jeans for his keys. “See you next week, Shelly.”

“I’ll have your table waiting for you,” Shelly replied, smiling as she moved back to her coffee.

Christian walked outside and then glanced back at Dean as he moved towards his Harley, which was parked right in front of the doors where no one could mess with it without someone inside seeing them do it. Dean was right behind him looking relaxed and kind of happy, which made Christian smile a little wider as he swung a leg over his bike and then settled comfortably into the seat, waiting for Dean to do the same while he put the key into the ignition.

Dean climbed onto the bike behind him, settling close without hesitation this time and moving his hands to rest on Christian’s hips. “Where are we headed?” Dean asked softly.

Christian turned his head to look at Dean as he started the bike and replied quietly, “I was thinkin’ about goin’ to my place, but I’m open to ideas.”

Dean smiled and murmured, “Your place sounds good.”

Christian found his gaze drawn to the curve of Dean’s lips, and he wondered what they tasted like as he leaned back towards Dean slightly. “Glad to hear it.”

“I’m kinda glad you want me there,” Dean admitted softly, giving him a sweet little smile that went all the way to his eyes and made them sparkle.

Christian stopped trying to fight the impulse to kiss Dean, letting out a soft little pleased sound when Dean pressed a little closer to his back as Dean’s hands tightened on his hips. Christian kept the kiss fairly soft and sweet, just a slow press of lips for a few moments until he pulled away enough to look into Dean’s eyes and whispered, “I _definitely_ want you there.”

Dean smiled, his hazel eyes sparkling in the light from the diner’s front windows as he murmured, “Then start drivin’, Christian.”

Christian smiled and kissed him again, quick and light, then turned his attention forward again as he shifted the bike and put the kickstand up with his heel. Shelly was watching them with a pleased smile as she waved goodbye to him, and Christian blushed a bit as he nodded to her with an answering smile and started the bike back out of his parking spot.

Kissing Dean in public might come back to bite Christian on the ass, but he was starting to think that people might need to get used to the idea. He really liked Dean, and he had realized during dinner that he kind of wanted whatever it was that was happening between them to have a chance to grow.

 

~*~

 

Dean settled a little closer to Christian’s back as they accelerated away from another stoplight, enjoying the feel of suede and firm muscles under his hands as he slid them slowly around to Christian’s belly. Christian shifted to press back against him a bit more then, barely enough for Dean to notice the difference, but it made him smile anyway. He wasn’t sure where they were going, and he had no idea how long this thing with Christian would last, but he had decided to just go with it anyway.

Christian’s easy charm and friendly personality drew Dean to him at least as much as his good looks did, and the more Dean learned about him the more attracted he got. Being with Christian reminded Dean of another guy a long time ago who had effortlessly gone from stranger to the best friend he ever had in just a week, and Dean wanted to find out if he could build a relationship so easily with Christian. Dean was finally free with nobody to answer to but himself, and Christian hadn’t dated anyone special in years, which made it much easier for Dean to let himself relax and just see what happened instead of fighting the undeniable attraction he felt.

Christian turned onto the ramp to a freeway heading east out of town, and Dean’s eyebrows went up in surprise as he leaned closer to ask, “Where do you live?”

“Out in the hills,” Christian replied, glancing back over his shoulder at Dean with a wide grin and then looking back at the road as he accelerated to merge into traffic. He moved straight into the fast lane to pass a semi that Dean figured was probably doing sixty, and Dean tightened his grip around Christian’s waist as Christian added, “Don’t worry, it’s not that far. Twenty minutes max, this time of night.”

“Cool.” Dean closed his eyes against the sting of the wind in them and settled in to just enjoy the ride as Christian deftly maneuvered through the sparse late-night traffic heading out of town, amused as he felt the Harley leap forward under them when Christian found a hole in the traffic and accelerated again.

Christian had evidently been serious when he said he liked to drive fast, and Dean found himself wondering if Christian might like to head out to Death Valley with him some evening when Christian wouldn’t have to work the next day. There was a sweet stretch of highway out there that was popular with street racers because it was never patrolled at night, and he had a feeling Christian would love getting out there. Dean had picked up some cash there a few times, but he didn’t really go because he needed the money. He went to watch the hot cars and their drivers while he enjoyed the cool desert night, and when he went he always took advantage of the chance to drive his baby just as fast as she could go.

Dean was hardly aware of the smile on his face as he settled a little closer to Christian and just enjoyed holding a muscular, warm body close and listening to the Harley’s engine while the bike ate up the miles, heading out of town.

 

~*~

 

The sounds of traffic slowly faded out as they left town, but if anything Christian just drove faster.

It wasn’t the first time that Christian had taken someone for a ride on his bike on the way somewhere he could get to know them a lot better, not by far, but it _was_ the first time that someone was a man.

Christian wasn’t straight, he had admitted that to himself a few years ago, but he was too straight to really have an easy time of acting on it when he saw a guy he wanted to get to know better. He liked looking at men, and he was definitely curious about sex with a man sometimes, but he had never actually followed through on the impulse before. He never would have said a word to Dean if it weren’t for Steve, and after spending a couple of hours in Dean’s company he knew that he owed Steve big for pushing him into doing something about the attraction he had felt the moment Dean’s gaze met his.

Christian was the kind of guy that hadn’t ever wanted to be held by a big strong man, so it surprised him how much he liked the feeling of Dean holding him. He was hyper-aware of Dean’s body touching his, firm in so many places he was used to the soft curves of a woman. Dean’s solidly muscular chest was against his back, cheek resting against the thin suede that covered his shoulder, hard denim-clad thighs against his own, strong arms snug around his waist, but it felt _right_ in spite of how undeniably male Dean felt against him. That simple fact amazed him more than a little bit even as it reassured him that he wasn’t making a mistake.

Christian finally slowed the bike as it neared where he would turn off the highway, and he felt Dean shift against his back as Dean lifted his head to look around them. He turned onto the two-lane road and then glanced at Dean, smiling when he saw how relaxed and curious Dean looked. Dean was strong and something about him told Christian that he was a lot tougher than he seemed, but still Christian felt protective of him even though he wasn’t quite sure why. It had surprised him at first when he noticed it, but as he drove down the canyon road towards his little two-bedroom trailer house in the hills, he realized that he liked it.

“Not far now,” Christian murmured, glancing at the road and then looking back at Dean again.

“Okay,” Dean said, smiling.

Christian smiled at Dean a moment longer before he forced himself to put his attention back on the road, even though he just wanted to stare at Dean. Dean was beautiful in the moonlight, his hazel eyes sparkling and happy, and Christian fought the urge to accelerate so he could get Dean home just a little faster.

Once they were finally there, he could forget about everything but Dean.

 

~*~

 

They rode past first one and then a cluster of three little carbon-copy ranchettes and then into a stretch where a dozen of them lined each side of the road, every oversized back yard occupied by the dark bulk of a horse or two. Dean was starting to wonder if Christian might actually live in one of them when they turned onto a narrow dirt road that led off between two of the ranchettes.

Christian slowed the bike a little more as they traveled down the dusty road, not looking back at Dean as he said, “This is the only way into my place unless you have a horse, or a helicopter.”

Dean let out a little surprised laugh. “You’re way out here, huh?”

Christian glanced back at Dean, flashing him a bright grin that made his blue eyes sparkle in the moonlight as he said cheerfully, “Only way to be. Keeps my horses happy, not to mention savin’ me the hassle of neighbors complainin’ when I wanna have the guys over for a barbeque that turns into an all-night jam session.”

Dean grinned, pleased to hear that Christian had horses. “Sounds like fun.”

“Consider yourself invited to the next one, then,” Christian said with a wide grin as he turned onto a driveway that barely qualified for the word, just two ruts through the sand and scrub brush. Dean noticed that only one of the ruts looked like it had seen any traffic recently and he wondered where Steve lived, and how long he had been keeping Christian’s Bronco. “It’s tomorrow afternoon, and whoever comes will be bringin’ their toys.”

“Count me in,” Dean said immediately, not wanting to think about it enough to talk himself out of it. It sounded like it would be a lot of fun to him, though he hoped he would end up just staying until then, which would mean having to borrow a guitar. He wasn’t about to ask Jensen to drive the Impala out with his old Martin, there was no telling what kind of trouble Jensen would get into driving alone.

They rounded a corner and then twenty feet away the scrub brush suddenly disappeared, replaced by fenced pasture on either side of the drive where grass was hanging on stubbornly despite the late summer heat. A moment later a horse nickered loudly off to their right and Dean looked towards the sound just in time to see a dark grayish paint horse with a white face and belly and a black mane, legs, and tail start towards them at an easy jog. The grayish paint was followed closely by a similarly marked black paint that looked pretty young to Dean and was all legs.

The black paint sped up into a gallop that outdistanced the bigger one easily, calling to them again as Christian laughed and accelerated up the driveway, racing the horse. The black paint was fast and Dean watched it run with a wide grin as Christian drove along the fence line. He hadn’t seen a horse up close in a long time and he had missed it more than a little. The grayish paint had broken into a gallop to follow them, but it didn’t seem to be trying to catch the black paint, which was easily staying just ahead of the Harley.

Christian finally braked to a stop at the end of the driveway in a flurry of dust, and Dean spared a glance to see they had stopped near a large carport between an old house trailer on one side and a small barn on the other. Christian was grinning widely as he rolled the Harley under the carport near a big grill and then shut down the Harley as he put down the kickstand. He turned to look at Dean as soon as he let the bike settle onto the stand, looking happy and relaxed as he said, “The black is Cisco, and the grulla mare is his momma, Lady. They’re both mustangs.”

Dean stared at Christian in surprise. “Actual wild horses?”

“They were, yep,” Christian agreed, looking out towards the horses, who had stopped at the fence on the other side of the barn to watch them interestedly. “Lady and Cisco were caught when he was just a tiny thing, an’ I adopted them about a month after that. They’ve been here ever since.” He looked back at Dean, grinning with his blue eyes sparkling and happy in the moonlight, and Dean suddenly realized that Christian was just about the sexiest thing he had ever seen. “I love music and I like acting, but after I came out to California, livin’ without a horse was killin’ me. It took me a long time to scrape together the cash for some land and find this place, but once I did I had to have a couple good horses to share it with me.”

Dean smiled and murmured without thinking about it, “Sounds like a man after my own heart.”

Christian blinked and then his eyes widened. “You _ride_ too?”

Dean let out a little laugh, and he wasn’t really sure why he could feel his face heating up as he said, “Well, no, not exactly. I never knew anyone who could teach me to ride, but I’ve lived where there were neighbors that had horses a few times. One place when I was in high school there was a black mare that I used to spend time with when I needed a little peace and quiet. She’d come when I whistled an’ liked to just hang out and let me pet her, and I really missed her when we moved away.” He blushed even more as it dawned on him how that sounded, looking away from Christian. “And I don’t know _why_ I just told you that.”

Christian covered Dean’s hand with his, making Dean realize he was still sitting there plastered against Christian’s back with his arms around Christian’s waist even though there was no reason for him to be clinging so close to him anymore. “I’m really glad you did,” Christian murmured, and Dean looked at Christian again. Christian gave him a sweet, gentle smile that made Dean feel suddenly warm as Christian added softly, “Kinda scary how close to perfect you are, though.”

Dean blushed even redder. “I’m not. Nowhere near it, even.”

“Close enough for me to want to know you a hell of a lot better,” Christian murmured, twisting in Dean’s arms as he leaned to kiss him.

Dean didn’t even consider doing anything else as he moved to meet Christian halfway, his arms tightening around Christian’s waist as he leaned to the side a little to make it easier for Christian to kiss him.

 

~*~

 

Christian kissed Dean until they were both breathless before he finally pulled away, looking into Dean’s eyes as he said, “Hold that thought.”

Dean looked surprised as he loosened his grip on Christian and agreed softly, “Alright.”

Christian kissed him lightly again and then pulled away, getting up off of the bike to stand and then turning around to swing his other leg over the bike, settling backwards on the seat. He grinned at Dean then, pleased and smug as he said quietly, “Now where were we?”

Dean smiled and moved closer as he murmured, “Right here.”

Dean kissed Christian without any hesitation then, reaching for Christian again to slide his arms around him, and Christian grabbed Dean’s hips to tug him forward along the bike’s seat. Dean followed the pull with a low pleased hum, and then he surprised Christian by moving right into his lap, one leg lifting to hook around Christian’s hips and rest his boot on the bike’s gas tank against Christian’s ass. Christian growled and deepened the kiss, his arms tightening around Dean to pull Dean’s body snug against his as he licked into Dean’s mouth, enjoying the sweet hint of root beer that lingered in Dean’s mouth from dinner.

Dean submitted completely to the kiss with a low noise somewhere between a hum and a moan, and Christian didn’t even try to control the urge to plunder his mouth hungrily while Dean’s hands roamed over his back, stroking over suede-covered muscles slowly as if Dean wanted to memorize the feel of every inch. Christian started to feel a little light headed after a few minutes and had to end the kiss to take a breath, looking into Dean’s eyes as he admitted huskily, “I didn’t expect to want you like this.”

Dean licked his swollen lips, his hazel eyes dark in the moonlight as he smiled and murmured, “I’m gonna take that as a compliment.”

“Do,” Christian agreed, smiling a bit as he leaned in to nuzzle Dean’s jaw, tasting the skin of his throat before he murmured, “Can’t remember last time I wanted someone so bad I didn’t even make it off my bike.”

Dean chuckled quietly and then let out a quiet little groan as Christian bit his neck gently, his leg flexing around Christian’s hips to pull them closer together as he whispered, “You got me, wherever you want me.”

Christian let out a low pleased noise and let his hands slide down to stroke over Dean’s ass as he licked and nibbled at Dean’s throat, enjoying how responsive Dean was and making note of the fact Dean seemed to really like the feel of teeth. He tugged Dean a little closer, his hands squeezing Dean’s ass, and then Dean suddenly moved so both legs were up around Christian’s hips. Dean’s crotch settled fully against Christian’s cock then and Christian growled as he bit Dean’s throat again, hips flexing to grind against him while Dean let out a soft moan.

“We’re wearin’ too damn many clothes,” Dean whispered a moment later, breathless, and Christian wondered if Dean was even aware of the soft noises he was making as he rocked his hips to rub against the hard bulge of Christian’s cock.

Christian licked up to Dean’s ear and then growled into it, “I’m gonna make you come in your pants, an’ then I’m takin’ you to my bed so I can fuck you ‘till neither of us can walk.”

“God yeah,” Dean whispered, twisting to catch Christian’s mouth in an eager, almost demanding kiss.

Christian gladly returned the passionate kiss and his hands flexed on Dean’s ass as he leaned forward, pushing Dean back and down to lay on the bike’s seat while he braced his feet and stood to get enough leverage to really start thrusting against him. Dean moved to meet every thrust, muscular thighs flexing against Christian’s sides as his legs tightened around him, the heels of his boots digging into Christian’s ass to urge him on.

Christian ended the kiss with a gasp after a few minutes, watching Dean intently as his hips moved faster, enjoying the way Dean moved to meet every jerk of his hips. Dean let his head fall back and just held on to Christian’s shoulders, eyes closing as he obviously got lost in the way what they were doing made him feel, constantly making low needy noises that went straight to Christian’s cock and made him almost painfully hard in the tight confines of his jeans.

Christian moved one hand from Dean’s ass just long enough to shove his shirt upwards, baring most of his chest, and then he ducked to lick at the silver hoop in Dean’s left nipple. Dean arched and moaned, shuddering under him, and Christian purred softly, “So fuckin’ responsive.” He licked at Dean’s nipple again and then tugged the ring very gently with his teeth to see how Dean would react, and he was surprised when Dean cried out softly, hips jerking hard as he came.

Christian growled at the feel of Dean bucking under him, releasing the nipple ring as he thrust quickly a few more times and then stiffened with a low groan as he came. He shuddered through the aftershocks, still grinding slowly against Dean and enjoying the way Dean was moving against him until it got a little too intense and the pleasure started to slide into over stimulation. He pulled back then to sit on the bike’s seat again, pulling Dean up and into his arms, and Dean purred as he pressed close to him, trembling but moving without hesitation to kiss him.

 

~*~

 

Dean let out a soft pleased noise as he kissed Christian, loosening his legs from around Christian’s waist to rest his boots on the gas tank behind Christian as he moved one hand to slide into Christian’s hair. He was feeling shaky and a little vulnerable, more than a little shocked that just rubbing against Christian had been enough to get him off so quickly. He hadn’t come in his pants since he was sixteen, and even then it had been after a lot more teasing than Christian had done.

Christian pulled away slightly after a few minutes to lick at Dean’s swollen lips and then murmured against them, “Haven’t done that in years.”

Christian began trailing soft little kisses along Dean’s jaw, and Dean tilted his head to give him better access as he whispered, “Me either.” He let his hands start to roam again, slowly stroking over Christian’s shoulders and back as he closed his eyes and relaxed against him, feeling the slow build of heat starting between them again already.

“Barely came,” Christian whispered, nipping his earlobe gently before he added, “an’ I already wanna start all over an’ go again.”

“Same here,” Dean agreed, licking his lips. “I’d like to get rid of the clothes next time, though. I want you to fuck me.”

Christian groaned and pulled away to stare at Dean, blue eyes hungry and intense as he admitted, “I never done it like that.”

Dean looked at Christian in surprise. “Not even with a woman?”

Christian blushed a bit, shaking his head. “Regular way was always good enough for me.” He looked into Dean’s eyes again and added, “I want to. I just don’t really know much about it, ‘cept that I could hurt you if I’m not real careful.”

Dean smiled and leaned in to kiss Christian gently, drawing a low noise from him as Dean pulled back to look into Christian’s eyes and whispered, “I’ll do all the prep if you want.” He licked his lips again and then added, “You can watch, so you’ll know how next time.”

Christian shuddered slightly and muttered, “Fuck, babe.”

“That’s kind of the point, yeah,” Dean agreed with a sudden little wicked grin. He shifted his hips to rub against Christian’s half-hard cock, adding, “I wanna feel you balls-deep inside me tonight at _least_ once.”

Christian growled and leaned to kiss Dean again, hard and fast, then murmured huskily, “Just tell me what you want an’ I’ll do it.”

Dean had a moment of déjà vu, remembering a warm spring afternoon years ago when someone else had said pretty much the same thing to him. Christian wasn’t Puck, wasn’t really anything like him, but they did have one important thing in common. Dean had only known Christian a few hours, but he already knew that he would never tell Christian no when Christian wanted him. He wanted it too badly to ever try to deny it.

Dean pulled away and scooted back on the bike seat, letting his feet fall to the ground as he murmured, “Time to actually try an’ make it into the house then.” He stood and swung his leg over the bike, making a face at the feel of wet denim rubbing against his cock and then adjusting his jeans as he muttered, “Now I remember why I quit doin’ that.”

Christian let out a soft surprised laugh and swung his leg over the bike to sit sideways on it, reaching for Dean’s belt to pull him closer as he looked up at him with a little smirk and murmured, “You sayin’ it wasn’t worth a few minutes in sticky underwear?”

“What underwear?” Dean asked with a wry smile, giving up on his jeans to run his hands along Christian’s bare upper arms. “These jeans are too tight for boxers, and I draw the line at a thong, man.”

Christian’s eyes darkened a bit and he let out a low groan. “God, don’t tell me stuff like that when I gotta get up an’ walk.”

Dean chuckled and leaned down to kiss him, licking and nipping at Christian’s lower lip before he pulled away again and stepped back, sliding his hands down Christian’s arms to his hands to tug him to his feet. “The horses need anything before mornin’?”

“They’d like some feed,” Christian admitted, moving close to Dean and leaning in to kiss him again.

Dean returned the kiss with a low pleased hum, lingering for a long moment before he pulled back and turned away to walk towards the barn. “Let’s get it done, then. Once I get you in bed, we’re stayin’ there ‘till tomorrow.”

Christian moved quickly after him, and when Dean glanced back at him he saw that Christian was grinning. “I’ll even throw the horses their mornin’ hay now so we can sleep in a little.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dean agreed, pleased. “Point me at one or the other an’ tell me what to do so we can get it done quicker.”

“I’ll say it again,” Christian said with a wide grin, “you’re damn near perfect.”

Dean laughed and blushed, not saying anything because he really had no idea how to reply to that.

It had been a very long time since anyone said something like that about him.

 

~*~

 

Christian finished loading a square bale in the hay feeder that was outside near the side wall of the brightly lit barn and then walked back around the front to see what Dean was doing. He moved to the pipe side of Cisco’s stall and bent the wires off the bale to hang them on one of the pipe rails next to a few dozen others before he folded his arms on one pipe and leaned there to watch.

Christian had expected to have to feed Lady himself when he finished the hay, but he had left her bucket with Dean anyway just to see what would happen. He hadn’t really expected Lady to be willing to let Dean get her into the stall, so he was surprised to see Dean was standing in the middle of Lady’s stall with his side towards Chris and Lady’s feed bucket in one arm, stroking the mare’s neck slow and easy while Lady took a bite of feed. Lady was a bit wary but she didn’t act nervous or afraid at all, and Christian had to just stop and stare.

“There you go, Lady,” Dean murmured just loud enough for Christian to hear, “that’s a good girl.”

Lady pulled away and stepped back as soon as she was satisfied with her mouthful, chewing on it as she watched Dean warily, and Christian had to smile at the expression on Dean’s face.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Dean murmured, sounding fond and amused. “It ain’t that terrible to let me touch you if you want to steal a bite of feed. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Lady finished her mouthful and then stepped closer to Dean again, showing hardly any hesitation before she shoved her head into the bucket hard enough to make Dean stagger.

Dean laughed and started petting Lady’s neck again as he muttered, “Slow down, you’re gonna make me drop the bucket an’ then your feed’ll scatter everywhere.”

“She wouldn’t care,” Christian said then, making Dean look towards him. “She’s just as happy to eat it off the ground as out of her feeder.” He laughed softly. “Or the bucket.”

Dean blushed, looking a bit sheepish as he asked, “You mind me feedin’ her like this?”

“Not a bit,” Christian said quickly, grinning as he moved around the pipe stall Cisco was in to walk down the aisle to Lady’s gate and lean there just a few feet from Dean.

Christian had owned Lady for over a year and she was gentle enough that he rode her every day and had let friends who were experienced riders ride her a couple of times, but she hadn’t ever shown an interest in getting near anyone but him when she was loose. Seeing her eating out of a bucket while Dean held it felt like a victory to Christian, and it made him like Dean even more. Lady was a smart mare and picky about who she got close to unless Christian had a halter on her, so it said a lot to him about Dean that she was willing to give him her head so easily. Horses instinctively knew that anything that grabbed their head could seriously hurt them, and mustangs were even more wary of it than most, so Lady’s willingness to bury her head in a bucket while Dean held it showed a lot of trust.

Lady already had her head in the bucket again, munching away while Dean stroked her neck, and Christian added, “I’m kinda surprised she let you, though. Nobody’s ever really touched her but me since I got her, unless I had a halter on her. She’s gentle as a kitten when I’ve got hold of her, but when she’s loose she’s still pretty wary of people.”

Dean blinked, obviously surprised as he looked at Christian and then back at the mare, who was no longer pulling away between bites of feed. “I tried to carry the bucket to her feeder an’ she wanted to take it, so I held it for her to get a bite just like I did with Cisco.”

Christian just chuckled as he watched Dean petting the mare, kind of amazed and proud and yeah, a little turned on, too. He’d never had a problem getting near a mustang, but that wasn’t something many people could say. He had learned the knack from his granddad, who was full-blood Cherokee and had spent his life gentling ‘outlaw’ horses he picked up for a song and then selling them again, often as kid horses. Christian had been riding his grandfather’s reformed outlaws since he could walk, and he could gentle and train a horse as easy as breathing because of it, whether the horse was a mustang or a reject from someone’s string of bucking horses.

Christian was sure that Dean hadn’t grown up like that, though, which meant that Dean had something even more rare and precious than his own carefully nurtured skill with a horse. Christian’s granddad had taught him that horses could see right to the heart of a man and know him in an instant, and Christian believed it like he believed the sun would rise in the east. He had seen horses prove it over and over, and it had made him trust a horse’s opinion of a man over even his own. Seeing Dean so easily get Lady’s trust made Christian realize that Dean had the kind of heart horses were drawn to, plain and simple, which made Christian feel more at ease about feeling so attracted to someone he knew so little about, even though he still had doubts about how smart it was.

Christian watched Dean petting Lady for a few more minutes before he murmured almost to himself, “You’re just too good to be true, Dean.”

Dean looked at him in surprise. “Do what now?”

“Do you eat kittens for breakfast? Maybe have a wife and kids you haven’t told me about?” Christian asked instead of answering him, suddenly feeling a little wistful. He was drifting steadily into territory he had worked hard to avoid for a long time, but he couldn’t quite make himself turn and run even though part of him wanted to do just that. “I’m not gonna find out somethin’ in a week that’ll make me regret this, am I?”

Dean stared at Christian for a long moment, looking kind of pained as he finally said, “I’m not married and likely never will be, an’ if I have kids I sure as hell don’t know about ‘em, but I got stuff in my past you won’t like.”

“Such as?” Christian asked, bracing himself for the worst. It would be a long ride to take Dean back to LA, but he’d rather do that than get any more attached if it was something he just couldn’t live with.

Dean swallowed hard and then took a shaky breath before he admitted, “I sold my ass to feed myself and my baby brother when I was younger. If you can stand knowin’ that, then the rest’ll be easy.”

Christian blinked and then just looked at Dean for a long moment, processing that little bit of unexpected information. He wasn’t the kind of man who had ever even considered paying for sex, but it wasn’t because he had anything against the practice. He just didn’t _need_ to pay for it. He had never had a problem getting laid when he wanted to, not even in high school.

Christian never would have thought a guy as shy as Dean could make it as a rentboy, but knowing Dean had, and more importantly knowing _why_ Dean had done it, didn’t make him think less of Dean. He had gotten the feeling Dean was tougher than he seemed right from the beginning, and knowing how far Dean would go to take care of his family just made Christian respect him a little more.

Dean looked like he was expecting to be kicked, something pained and resigned in his expressive hazel eyes, but Christian couldn’t find it in himself to be that guy. “You been tested since then?” Christian finally asked softly.

“Yeah,” Dean said, appearing a little bit surprised. “I’ve never had sex without a rubber in my life, and I’m clean. Got the results in my wallet, if you want proof. I went by a clinic just off Hollywood Boulevard right after I moved in with Jensen. I haven’t been with a guy since then, and only a couple of girls.”

“Then it doesn’t matter to me, Dean,” Christian said. “Hell, I’ve slept with so many women in the last few years I lost count a long time ago, an’ ninety percent of them only wanted me so they could say they fucked a guy who was on TV. Doin’ what you had to do to survive as a kid is nothin’ up against that.”

“It wasn’t just once,” Dean said, turning away to carry Lady’s bucket towards the feeder at the back of her stall. Lady moved to follow him, shoving her muzzle back into the feed as soon as he dumped what was left, and then Dean stood there stroking her neck with his back to Christian as he went on. “I was a whore off an’ on for years. Mostly I did it for the money, at least at first, but later…” He trailed off and was silent for a moment, then took a slow deep breath, almost as if he were gathering his courage. “Later I did it because I was lonely as hell, and I needed somebody to help me forget for a while.”

“Same reason I picked up the girls,” Christian pointed out, resisting the urge to go into the stall with Dean and Lady. He wanted to reassure Dean, wanted to hold him if he was being honest with himself, but something told him that he’d do better to wait for Dean to come to him. He had learned years ago to trust his instincts with something like that, so he waited and gave Dean the chance to make that choice.

Dean looked at Christian again, obviously a little confused as he said quietly, “Most men think I’m trash when they find out I let strangers pay to fuck me even though I didn’t need the money.”

“I’m not most men,” Christian said gently, giving Dean a slightly crooked smile. “Fuckin’ groupies ain’t much different, I figure, an’ I got a reputation you’re sure to hear about sooner or later for hookin’ up with more than my share of ‘em. And hell, with the way tonight is headed, it’s a good thing one of us knows what he’s doin’.”

Dean let out a surprised little ghost of a laugh and patted Lady’s shoulder once more before he walked over to Christian with the empty bucket, the pipe wall of the stall still between them as he stared into Christian’s eyes. “You keep saying I’m pretty close to perfect,” he murmured after a moment, then snorted and added with a smile, “Which is nuts, by the way, but anyway. You call me perfect, but next to you I’m nothin’.”

“I don’t agree,” Christian said quietly, smiling as he reached to open the stall gate for Dean.

Dean walked out of the stall and then watched Christian close the gate before he said very softly, “It kind of scares me how much I like you. I keep tellin’ you stuff I just don’t talk about, and I find myself wantin’ to tell you even more.”

“Same here,” Christian admitted, taking a step towards Dean and then stopping to let Dean close the last little bit of distance between them if he wanted to. “I admitted to myself a long time ago that I’m not straight, but I never did anything about it until tonight, no matter how hard Steve pushed me to stop lookin’ an take a chance.” He paused and then added quietly, “An’ it’s been years since I wanted _anyone_ like I want you right now, no matter what you ever did to get what you needed to survive.”

“You got me,” Dean said simply as he visibly relaxed, giving away just how tense he had been. “I’m not goin’ anywhere unless you tell me to, and even then I bet you’d have a hell of a time calling me a cab.”

Christian laughed softly. “You can’t get a cab out here this late, Dean, not even if you call an’ offer ‘em double. I’m either takin’ you home when you go, or you’ll have to hitch a ride with one of the guys tomorrow.”

“I can handle that,” Dean said with a smile, finally moving towards Christian again. He hesitantly moved his free hand to Christian’s hip, looking into his eyes as he asked, “Are we done out here?”

“Yeah, we are,” Christian said softly, sliding his arms around Dean’s waist to tug him a little closer with a smile. “Just gotta put the buckets away, open the stalls for the horses, an’ then kill the lights.”

Dean leaned to kiss him, making a soft pleased noise when Christian responded warmly, and then a moment later he pulled away to smile at him as he murmured, “I’ll get the buckets and Cisco’s gate, you get Lady’s and the light.” He turned away without waiting for an answer, walking to Cisco’s gate at the back of the barn to pick up the bucket he had left there.

Christian licked his lips as he watched Dean bend over, not even thinking about it as he said, “Your ass looks good enough to eat.”

Dean laughed and straightened quickly with Cisco’s bucket, putting it inside Lady’s bucket as he looked at Christian, blushing. “You can do whatever you want to it after we finally make it to your bed.”

Christian reached for Lady’s gate to pop the latch open and then headed quickly for the front of the barn, grinning widely. “Hot damn, it must be my lucky day.”

Dean opened Cisco’s stall and then moved after Christian as he said quietly, “I know it was mine.”

Christian stopped at the barn gate and looked back at Dean, pleased to see a sweet smile on Dean’s face. “I’m thinkin’ maybe we both owe our buddies a hell of a lot.”

“Yeah,” Dean agreed softly, putting the buckets in the feed room and then shutting the door before he moved to join Christian, still smiling softly. “I’m gonna have to let Jen drive my baby for this one, I think. He’s been beggin’ me to let him since we met, and nothin’ else I could do for him’s special enough to even _start_ to pay him back for makin’ me go meet you tonight.”

Christian smiled at Dean, opening the main gate on the barn and then flicking off the nearby light switch as he murmured, “I owe him too, if you put it that way.”

“Invite him tomorrow,” Dean said quietly, smiling as he moved closer to Christian. “He’d love to get to play fly on the wall and watch you and your buddies jam. He doesn’t play anything himself, but he loves music an’ really enjoyed what you were playin’ tonight.”

“I’ll call him in the mornin’,” Christian agreed easily, reaching for Dean’s hand before he talked himself out of it and then moving out of the gate, tugging Dean along with him.

“You won’t have to,” Dean said with a soft little laugh, following Christian without any hesitation as he laced their fingers together. Christian looked back to shut the gate behind them, and his smile widened when he saw Dean was blushing but looked happy. “He’ll call my cell at the asscrack of dawn, hoping to catch me with a hangover even though I didn’t drink near that much.”

Christian laughed softly, latching the gate and then heading towards the house with Dean’s hand still in his. “Leave your cell on my side of the bed an’ I’ll cure him of that, at least whenever he knows you’re with me.”

“Nobody else I want to be with,” Dean murmured, making Christian look at him in pleased surprise. Dean blushed a little redder, but he was smiling as he admitted, “I could get used to being out here, if you let me. I kind of hate the city.”

“I ain’t tellin’ you to go anytime soon,” Christian said, smiling and looking towards the house as he fought the urge to stop and kiss Dean again. They’d never make it to his bedroom if he kept doing that every few steps, but he did let himself glance back at Dean again.

The happy smile on Dean’s face made Christian smile a little wider himself as they passed his bike, and he found himself walking faster towards the front steps of the house.

 

~*~

 

Dean let go of Christian’s hand so Christian could dig out his keys as he climbed the narrow stairs up to trailer’s front door, following Christian up the stairs and then watching as he unlocked the door and then pushed it open, gesturing for Dean to go in with a smile. “ _Mi casa es su casa_ , Dean.”

Dean smiled and paused at the door to kiss Christian again before he murmured, “ _Mi suerte_.”

Christian grinned and said softly, “Not as lucky as me.” He reached for Dean’s hand again to tug Dean along behind him into the house as he added, “I’ll give you the grand tour in the mornin’. Right now, my bed is callin’ your name.”

Dean closed the door behind them as he followed Christian to the right into the darkened house, barely able to make out where they were going as he smirked and said, “Well then, let’s not keep it waitin’ any more.”

“I wasn’t plannin’ to,” Christian agreed, leading Dean through the pitch black house past what seemed to be the kitchen to an open door. He hit the light switch as he went through that door, and Dean felt the stir of air as a ceiling fan came on. Christian led him further into the dark room and over to the pale bulk of a bed, leaning to turn on a bedside lamp before he turned back towards Dean and moved in close as he murmured, “Mm, much better.”

Dean spared only a cursory glance for the room, taking in the layout of the room just in case he needed to navigate in the dark later. There was an empty guitar rack in one corner, bookshelves along the wall on the far side of the bed on either side of a large window that faced the horse pasture, and an unmade queen-sized bed that took up more than half of the floor space. He returned his attention to Christian after only a moment, dismissing the rest of the room without any hesitation. He could look around later, but just then he had much better things to occupy his attention.

“Definitely,” Dean agreed, reaching for Christian to pull him closer. He let his hands slide around to stroke the suede that clung skin-tight to Christian’s lower back as he murmured, “Now where were we?”

“Right here,” Christian purred softly, hands lifting to settle on either side of Dean’s neck as he leaned in for a kiss.

Dean made a soft pleased noise into the kiss, swaying even closer as he let himself get lost in Christian’s talented mouth again, barely aware of the way his hands roamed as they slid restlessly up over Christian’s back and shoulders.

Christian drew the kiss out for several long minutes, tongue sliding against Dean’s slowly as he explored Dean’s mouth, then he finally pulled away to whisper against his lips, “I wanna see you naked, babe.” He nipped Dean’s lower lip gently and then added, “Wanna kiss every inch of you.”

Dean groaned softly and moved his hands to reach for his t-shirt without a word, jerking it upwards as Christian let go of him and stepped back to sit on the edge of the bed. Dean tugged the shirt over his head and dropped it behind him, and then he remembered Christian asking if he was clean so he reached for his back pocket to get his wallet. He was opening it when Christian reached out and took the wallet from him, tossing it onto the bedside table without looking away from Dean’s eyes as he said, “You don’t need that tonight.”

“Thought you’d want to see for yourself that I’m clean,” Dean said quietly, a little surprised.

Christian reached for Dean’s belt to tug Dean closer to him and then unbuckled it as he said firmly, “You told me you are, an’ I trust you.”

“Ain’t real smart,” Dean pointed out, running his hands along Christian’s upper arms while Christian deftly unfastened the button fly of his jeans.

“You tryin’ to tell me I _shouldn’t_ trust you?” Christian asked softly, his hands moving to Dean’s waist as he looked up into Dean’s eyes.

“I’m not gonna lie to you,” Dean said softly. “You hardly know me though. Me sayin’ that ain’t good enough.”

“Might not be comin’ from someone else,” Christian agreed, “but I figure you already proved that you’ll tell me the truth even when you don’t think I’ll like it. You didn’t have to tell me you used to hook, an’ you damn sure didn’t have to point out you didn’t need the money when you did it.”

Dean just looked into Christian’s eyes for a moment before he finally murmured, “I’m not gonna make you regret trustin’ me.”

“I know,” Christian agreed, smiling softly as he patted Dean’s hip. “Now get rid of your boots so you can get naked.”

Dean smiled. “Okay.” He moved to sit on the bed next to Christian and lift one combat boot onto his knee to untie it, looking up in surprise when Christian stood suddenly.

Christian smirked at him and murmured, “While you get rid of them shitkickers, I’m gonna do the same.” He was unbuttoning his leather vest as he spoke, and then he was toeing out of his worn biker boots with surprising ease.

Dean’s fingers stilled on the laces of his boot as he watched Christian shrug out of the vest, letting it fall to the floor. “So fuckin’ hot,” he murmured as his gaze roamed over Christian’s body. Christian’s skin was smooth with an even, deep golden tan that spoke of afternoons out in the sun without a shirt, the muscles of his chest and belly sleek and softly defined without being built up, and Dean had a feeling that Christian didn’t bother with working out to keep them that way. Christian had carried a hundred-plus-pound square bale of hay for the horses as if it weighed nothing, and Dean figured that taking care of the horses combined with how active Christian was on stage and at the studio was likely plenty to keep him in shape.

“I could say the same about you,” Christian murmured, making Dean look up to meet his gaze. Christian smirked slightly, moving towards Dean again as he added, “I never would’ve guessed that shirt was hidin’ so many freckles, though.”

Dean laughed, feeling his face heat up slightly as he reached for Christian’s belt, watching what he was doing as he admitted, “There’d be even more if I spent more time in the sun without a shirt.” Christian’s hands slid along his arms and then stroked over the muscles of his shoulders as Dean unbuttoned Christian’s jeans, looking up at his face again as he added, “Haven’t had anyone to go to the beach with in years. Sam hates it and Jen’s usually busy, and I never liked goin’ alone.”

“You surf?” Christian asked softly, moving one hand to stroke Dean’s jaw lightly.

Dean leaned into the caress as he looked up, running his hands along Christian’s muscular thighs as he murmured, “No, but I always wanted to learn.” He smiled. “Kinda like ridin’ a horse.”

Christian smiled and murmured, “Then we know what to do next weekend, if the waves are good. Ridin’ we can handle tomorrow while the food’s cookin’.”

Dean smiled, surprised and pleased. “I’d like that.”

“Good,” Christian murmured, stepping back as he added, “now finish gettin’ rid of those damned boots.” He turned away and padded barefoot into the bathroom, leaving the door open.

Dean could hear Christian open a cabinet as he went back to work on his boots, dropping his shoes and socks in the floor by the bed and then standing to move towards the bedside table. He emptied his pockets there, putting a handful of change, his battered old switchblade, and his cell phone down by his wallet as he asked, “You got a washer around here?”

“Yeah, I do,” Christian answered as he closed the cabinet, and Dean looked towards the door in time to see Christian step out of the bathroom with a bottle of Astroglide and a strip of condoms in one hand. “It’s on the back porch so I don’t have to listen to it.”

“I’ll need to wash my jeans,” Dean said quietly, smiling as he watched Christian approach.

Christian smirked. “I’ve got some sweats you can wear in the mornin’.” He put the lube and the condoms on the bedside table, and then he was reaching for Dean to run his hands over the smooth skin of his sides as he murmured, “Tonight we’ve both got better things to do.”

“Oh yeah,” Dean agreed, stepping closer as he leaned to kiss Christian with a low pleased hum.

 

~*~

 

Christian let himself get lost in kissing Dean, barely aware of Dean’s calloused hands sliding over his skin even as his own hands explored Dean’s body, roaming over his muscular back before moving down into Dean’s jeans to stroke the firm curves of his ass.

Dean groaned softly into his mouth and ended the kiss to murmur, “More naked.”

“Mm, yeah,” Christian agreed softly, pulling back to look into Dean’s eyes as he hooked his thumbs in Dean’s jeans to shove them down. “I seem to remember somethin’ about needin’ to get you good an’ ready.”

Dean blushed slightly at that even though his lips curved into a wicked little smile. “And then you’re gonna fuck me.”

“Hell yeah,” Christian agreed as Dean’s jeans fell the rest of the way to the floor. He ran his hands along Dean’s thighs and up over his hips, letting his gaze roam down over Dean’s chest to the small silver ring in his left nipple. His interest began to wander lower again after a moment, and he went back to taking in every inch of pale skin. Dean was lean and muscular but without the definition of someone who worked hard to get that way, and Christian found himself thinking he liked the smoothly toned look of Dean’s body. His gaze finally fell to Dean’s cock and lingered there, and after a moment he was surprised to realize Dean’s cock was a little longer than his own, though not as thick.

“You look good enough to eat,” Christian murmured after a moment, his gaze flicking back up to Dean’s eyes as he added, “but you oughta be on the bed.”

Dean licked his lips, his hazel eyes dark and looking greener than earlier as he murmured, “After I get ready, you can do anything you want to me.”

“Then let’s get busy,” Christian replied, smirking slightly as he patted Dean’s hip and then gave him a little push towards the bed.

Dean smiled and leaned to kiss him, then turned to climb onto the bed as he asked, “You gonna hand me the lube?”

“No, I think I want to do it,” Christian said, reaching for the waistband of his jeans. He shoved his jeans and boxers down and then kicked out of them and his socks before he reached for the small bottle of Astroglide he had bought about the time he moved into the trailer. He had figured then that if he was into men it was a good idea to be prepared, but he had never used the bottle at all. He hadn’t ever even gotten as far as _talking_ to a guy he was interested in until Dean, much less brought one home to get to know him better. He looked back at Dean then and blushed slightly at the way Dean was watching him, sprawled against the headboard of the bed.

“Do you even know how gorgeous you are?” Dean asked softly, his gaze roaming over Christian’s body with an intense, hungry look in his eyes.

Christian moved onto the bed as he murmured, “Been told I am, but I don’t much see it.” Dean’s gaze lifted to his again in surprise and Christian added, “I know I look _good_ , I’m just not really my type.” He smirked just a bit as he settled on the bed next to Dean, facing him and reaching out with his free hand to stroke Dean’s muscular thigh, which was smooth and firm under his fingertips. “I like men with a little more meat to ‘em than I got.”

Dean let out a soft little surprised laugh, blushing slightly as he murmured, “Glad you like the extra padding. I’ve been eatin’ pretty good the last six months.”

“California’s good for that,” Christian agreed, and then he added, “Now stop stallin’ and lets get this show on the road, babe. I wanna know how to get you ready for me to fuck you, ‘cause I want to pretty damned badly right now.”

Dean licked his lips, his expression shifting to something wickedly sexy as he purred softly, “I can talk you through, if you really want to try it.”

“Hell yeah,” Christian agreed immediately, pleased as he moved closer to Dean. “Just tell me what to do.”

“Main thing is to get my ass stretched enough for you to fuck me without doin’ any damage,” Dean murmured, shifting to slide down the bed and lay with his head on the pillows instead of sitting propped against the headboard. “That’ll take some fingerin’ an’ plenty of lube.”

“I got fingers, and the lube,” Christian agreed, moving over Dean and then letting out a low pleased growl at the way Dean’s legs spread for him to settle between them. He dropped the lube on the bed by Dean’s hip as he leaned down to kiss him, licking and nipping at his lower lip, then stared into his eyes as he murmured, “I’m gonna do a little explorin’ on the way there, though.”

“Anything you want,” Dean agreed without any sign of hesitation, running his hands slowly over Christian’s sides. “I’m not in a hurry now I got you in bed.”

“I am,” Christian admitted, kissing him again and then beginning to trail kisses down his throat as Dean obligingly tipped his head back to give him better access. He licked into the hollow of Dean’s throat just above the necklace Dean wore, and then nibbled along Dean’s collarbone for a moment before he whispered against his skin, “Love how you taste, all salty-sweet.” He bit Dean’s collarbone gently, purring at the low noise Dean made and the way Dean shifted restlessly under him, and then he licked over the bite before he whispered, “Delicious.”

Christian bit and sucked at the reddened spot he had just made, darkening it as Dean’s hands flexed on his sides, and then Dean’s hips lifted to grind against his belly as Dean whispered, “Fuck.”

“Soon baby,” Christian promised, licking at the purpling mark he had left on Dean’s collarbone and then moving without any warning to Dean’s left nipple to flick his tongue against it. Dean moaned softly, arching upwards, and Christian growled as he covered Dean’s nipple with his mouth, tongue toying with the small silver hoop. Dean let out a strangled little noise that was almost a whine, and then Christian tugged the ring gently with his teeth, making Dean cry out.

Dean’s hands ran over Christian’s sides restlessly as he made low needy noises, then finally his hips lifted to grind against Christian again as he gasped out, “Please.”

The noises Dean was making felt like they were going straight to Christian’s cock as it twitched against his belly between them, and he decided to stop torturing them both and get on with it. He let go of Dean’s nipple, trailing slow sucking kisses over Dean’s skin as he backed up to continue down his body, whispering between kisses, “Please what? Tell me. I’ll do it.”

“Stop teasin’ an’ get busy,” Dean growled quietly, running his hands along Christian’s shoulders.

Christian chuckled softly and lifted his head as he turned his attention back up to Dean’s face, staring into Dean’s hungry eyes as he murmured, “You’re gonna have to tell me what to do a little better than that, babe.”

“Or do it myself,” Dean agreed, licking his lips.

“Nuh-uh,” Christian said quickly, smirking. “I wanna do it.”

“Then you’re gonna need the lube,” Dean said softly. “Most guys start with one finger, but I can take two.” He flushed and then added even more quietly, “And I don’t need as much stretchin’ as some, so it won’t take too long. I like it a little rough.”

Christian reached for the lube, shifting to kneel between Dean’s legs as he murmured, “Anything else I need to know?”

“You know what a prostate is?” Dean asked, blushing more.

Christian smirked slightly as he squirted lube onto the first two fingertips of his right hand. “I figure I can find yours. I did a little research a while back when I finally admitted to myself I wanted to do more than look at guys. I know where everything is, at least.” He felt his face heating up a little as he admitted, “I just didn’t pay much attention to the particulars once I saw the illustrations.”

“Then that’s it,” Dean said, looking kind of amused but still blushing as he shifted on the bed, pulling one knee up towards his chest.

“Okay,” Christian murmured, dropping his gaze to Dean’s balls and ass. He was a little surprised by the lack of hair, but as he stroked the back of his knuckles over the soft smooth skin behind Dean’s balls, it only took him a moment to decide he really liked it. He moved his lubed hand to stroke two fingertips lightly over the tight pucker of Dean’s asshole then, watching in fascination as the ring of muscle quivered against his fingertips.

 

~*~

 

Dean shuddered at the feel of Christian’s fingers so close to where he wanted them, touching him so lightly that he had to fight the urge to lift his hips to grind up against them. “I won’t break,” he muttered, feeling his face heat up more as he heard how breathless and turned on he sounded.

Christian’s gaze flicked up to meet Dean’s for an instant and then dropped back to his ass. “Just go for it, huh?”

“Please,” Dean agreed quietly, and then he shuddered as two slick fingertips stroked over his asshole again and then pressed into him slowly. He let his head fall back on the pillow, closing his eyes with a soft moan as he stopped fighting himself and lifted his hips to push Christian’s fingers deeper, whispering, “Oh yeah.”

Christian’s free hand moved to stroke Dean’s upraised thigh as the fingers of his other hand moved slowly inside him, and Dean could feel Christian watching him as his hips lifted again. “You’re so fuckin’ _tight_.”

Dean licked his lips, opening his eyes as he lifted his head to look into Christian’s awed, hungry blue eyes and murmured with a wicked little smile, “Just think how it’s gonna feel to your dick.”

Christian groaned softly, fingers thrusting a little deeper into Dean’s body as he looked down and muttered, “Damn, baby.”

Dean felt Christian’s fingers flex then, spreading to stretch him open a little more, and Dean relaxed back onto the pillows again, closing his eyes to just enjoy the sensation. “Go a little deeper,” he said quietly, “and curl your fingers upwards.” Christian immediately did as he was told, and when his fingertips rubbed across Dean’s prostate, Dean gasped, hips lifting. “There.”

“That’s it, huh?” Christian asked, fingertips stroking over the same spot again and making Dean moan as his hips moved to try and force Christian’s fingers even deeper.

“Oh yeah,” Dean breathed out softly, his hands clenching in the soft jersey sheet under him. “Again.”

 

~*~

 

Christian began to slowly massage the spot that made Dean writhe and moan, fascinated by just watching Dean move for a moment before his gaze was drawn down to Dean’s cock, which was twitching against Dean’s belly with every flex of his fingers, leaving smears of precome on Dean’s skin. He leaned forward without really thinking about it to lick over the flared crown of Dean’s cock, making it jerk against his tongue as Dean’s body tightened around his fingers and Dean let out a little strangled moan that was nearly a whine.

Christian moved his free hand to hold Dean’s cock steady so he could explore the taste and texture of it more, fingers moving slowly inside Dean as he pulled them out a bit and then thrust them into Dean again, making sure to rub against his prostate. Christian was a little surprised how soft and velvety the crown of Dean’s cock was against his lips and tongue, and then it throbbed again and released a dribble of precome, surprising Christian as the flavor suddenly flooded his mouth. He licked the fluid away and swallowed almost automatically, surprised to realize he kind of liked the salty-sweet-bitter flavor of it, which was just as unique as the flavor of Dean’s skin and just as addictive.

Christian swirled his tongue against the crown of Dean’s cock again and then licked slowly along the edge of the crown. Dean moved a hand to Christian’s hair then, tugging at it with a low whine, and Christian lifted his head to look up at him in surprise. Dean’s face was flushed and he looked somewhere between horny and embarrassed as he shuddered through another thrust of Christian’s fingers and then murmured breathlessly, “You keep that up an’ I’m gonna come before you get to fuck me.”

“You sayin’ you can’t get it up a third time tonight?” Christian asked with a sudden wicked grin, feeling smug and pleased that he affected Dean so strongly. He hadn’t even gotten started good on the blow job, but he knew that likely just made it worse instead of better. He had been on the receiving end of more than a few slow, uncertain blowjobs in his misspent youth chasing buckle bunnies, and the girls who really had no clue what he would like had driven him crazy by the time they figured it out. The fact he had been on the receiving end of some spectacular blowjobs didn’t make him any less inclined to explore and learn how Dean reacted to every little flick of his tongue and brush of his lips.

Dean groaned softly. “No, gettin’ it up won’t be a problem, I promise. I just kinda want you to fuck me _now_.”

“Mm, now that you mention it, that does sound good,” Christian agreed, giving Dean’s cock a slow tight stroke that made it throb as Dean’s hips jerked slightly. Christian settled back onto his heels again, running his left hand along Dean’s thigh as he flexed the fingers of his other hand in Dean’s ass and asked, “What’s next?”

“Three fingers, usually,” Dean said, watching Christian with hungry eyes as his hips moved slightly to push Christian’s fingers deeper. He licked his lips and then added, “Which is probably a good idea. It’s been a long time since anyone fucked me, and you’ve got a really nice cock.”

Christian tugged his fingers free of Dean’s ass, looking down to grab the lube and slick up three fingers before he capped the lube and then looked back at Dean. “Three it is. I sure don’t wanna hurt you by rushin’ things.”

Dean just nodded, and Christian looked back down again to watch as he pressed three fingers slowly into Dean’s body, which opened up surprisingly easy for them. He purposely avoided Dean’s prostate as he spread his fingers carefully, stretching the delicate flesh that clung so tight around them, and Dean made a low noise as he shifted restlessly. Christian lifted his gaze to Dean’s face as he did it again, watching as Dean bit his lower lip, muscles in his chest and shoulders flexing.

“That hurt?” Christian asked quietly, concerned.

Dean shook his head, flushing a bit darker red as he admitted, “No, it’s just hard to hold still.”

Christian smirked at that, fingers spreading slowly again as he murmured, “Must be doin’ somethin’ right then.”

“Everything,” Dean agreed, closing his eyes as he let his head fall back, his back arching as his hips lifted to force Christian’s fingers deeper. “And that’s enough.”

“I dunno, you feel kinda tight to me still,” Christian said teasingly as he flexed his fingers again.

Dean’s head turned to look at the bedside table as he reached for it, grabbing the strip of condoms, and then he turned his attention to Christian to give him a hungry-eyed stare as he threw the condoms at Christian’s chest. “Stop fuckin’ around and fuck _me_.”

Christian smirked. “Okay.” He pressed deeper with his fingers to find Dean’s prostate again, making Dean groan as his hips lifted with a jerk, his body tightening around Christian’s fingers. He tugged his fingers free of Dean’s ass again then, reaching quickly for the condoms to rip one open and put it on, unrolling it carefully along his cock as he murmured, “I can’t wait to feel what that’s like when I’m fuckin’ you.”

“So do it already,” Dean replied, sounding breathless. Christian got a little more lube to slick his sheathed cock with and then looked at Dean to find Dean watching him intently as Dean added, “Now.”

“I’m workin’ on it, babe,” Christian agreed with a rumbling little chuckle. “How do you wanna do this?”

“Like this.” Dean licked his lips, staring into Christian’s eyes as he admitted softly, “I wanna see you.”

Christian smiled and moved to lean over Dean, bracing his hands on the bed on either side of Dean as he whispered, “Same here.”

Dean shifted to wrap his legs around Christian’s waist, reaching up to pull Christian down into a tender kiss that quickly grew in intensity as Dean’s hips lifted towards him. Christian growled at the feel of his cock sliding against Dean’s skin and he shifted to move one hand down between them, not bothering to look as he ran his knuckles lightly over the sensitive skin behind Dean’s balls, then guided his cock to Dean’s ass and began to carefully push into him.

Dean broke the kiss with a gasp, throwing his head back as he arched under Christian, his legs flexing as his hips lifted to force Christian in deeper. Christian groaned, letting his head fall forward against Dean’s collarbone as he closed his eyes and slowly pushed into the almost painfully tight heat that surrounded the sensitive crown of his cock. He had been with a few girls that were virgins and he had always thought they were about as tight as anyone could get until that moment, when he realized every girl he'd ever fucked was loose compared to the way Dean’s ass felt as it clenched so tight around his cock.

Dean’s hands moved from Christian’s shoulders to his ass then, fingers digging in a bit as he gasped, “Move. I can take it.”

Christian took Dean as his word and began to move his hips in careful little shallow thrusts, shuddering at the way Dean’s body easily accepted his cock despite how tight it was, letting him go deeper every time until Christian’s balls were finally snug against Dean’s ass. Christian was sweating and trembling by then, fighting against the urge to just start pounding into Dean as he whispered, “So fuckin’ _tight_ , baby.”

Dean’s body was still clenching and releasing around Christian’s cock, and Christian couldn’t quite stop the little jerks his hips gave with each clench, making Dean writhe under him. “Move,” Dean gasped softly again. “Please.”

Christian groaned, pulling back and then thrusting slowly into Dean before he pulled back to do it again, amazed that as he moved the almost painful clench of muscles around his cock was relaxing into a tight gripping heat that felt better than anything he had ever known.

“ _Fuck me_ , Christy,” Dean growled, his hips jerking to meet the next thrust and forcing Christian’s cock into him a lot harder. “I won’t break.”

Christian shuddered and stopped fighting so hard for control, allowing himself to drive his cock hard and fast into Dean’s welcoming body as he leaned down to kiss him hungrily.

 

~*~

 

Dean returned the kiss with a low needy moan, his hands moving from Christian’s hips up to tangle in his hair and pull Christian down a little closer so he could deepen the kiss.

The change in angle as Christian leaned down over him made Christian’s cock start rubbing across Dean’s prostate with every flex of his hips, and Dean started making helpless little noises as his hips jerked upwards to meet every thrust. He stopped trying to think, letting himself just get lost in the feel of Christian’s mouth on his and Christian’s cock driving deep inside of him. It had been a very long time since Dean felt safe enough to give up his hard-won control when he was with a man, and it made everything feel that much more intense.

Christian ended the kiss with a gasp a few moments later, letting his head hang forward so his temple was brushing against Dean’s cheek as he closed his eyes, his hips moving constantly as he thrust into Dean hard and fast, silent except for soft noises of effort. His breathing was harsh and fast against Dean’s skin as he turned his head to brush an open-mouthed kiss across Dean’s cheek and then whispered, “Too fuckin’ perfect, baby. Not gonna last long.”

“So close,” Dean gasped, just as breathless as he held on to Christian’s shoulders. His whole body was thrumming with pleasure and need as he felt his balls drawing tight against the base of his cock, so close to the edge that he knew it wouldn’t take much to send him over. “Harder, Christy.”

Christian opened his eyes to look down at Dean as he shuddered slightly above him and shifted to get a better angle, and then he started to really put his strength into it, thrusting into Dean hard enough to make the headboard of the bed thump into the wall with every jerk of his hips.

Dean’s back arched as the slight change in angle caused Christian’s cock to start pounding right against his prostate instead of brushing across it, and then a moment later he was crying out as he came, his whole body shaking as his hips jerked hard to meet Christian’s.

 

~*~

 

Christian groaned when Dean’s ass suddenly clenched so tight around his cock it was right on the hazy borderline between intense pleasure and pain, his hips jerking to drive his cock deep inside Dean as he stiffened and came so hard it left him feeling lightheaded. He shuddered through his orgasm, muscles in his hips and back flexing with each pulse of his cock, and then his whole body suddenly went weak with exhaustion as he collapsed onto Dean’s chest, trembling like a leaf in a high wind. Dean’s arms moved around him as Dean nuzzled against his hair, breathing hard and just holding him close as Dean let his legs fall to the bed.

Christian moved to slide his arms under Dean after a minute or two, returning the embrace as he muttered, “Damn, baby.”

Dean chuckled soft and low as he ran his hands slowly over Christian’s sweaty sides, sounding amused and kind of smug as he murmured into Christian’s hair breathlessly, “Well, you got what you wanted. I couldn’t stand up if I had to.”

Christian snickered and kissed Dean’s throat, tasting the salt of sweat and a slight sweetness he was starting to realize was simply Dean. “Me either.”

“Sounds like we’re stayin’ right here then,” Dean murmured, still sounding amused as he nuzzled Christian’s hair.

Christian hummed his agreement as he relaxed again, just enjoying the feel of Dean under him and the steady throb of their combined heartbeats so loud in his ears. They stayed like that for long while as their breathing slowed and sweat evaporated from their bodies, and Christian was almost asleep when he finally realized he was probably pretty heavy, laying there on top of Dean. He needed to get rid of the condom anyway and they both could stand to clean up some so he started to pull away, but he had to stop when Dean’s arms tightened around him.

Christian lifted his head to look at Dean with a soft smile, pleased that Dean wanted him to stay as he whispered, “I was just gonna go toss the rubber, babe.”

Dean looked a bit sheepish and loosened his hold, his eyes tired but very satisfied and warm with affection. “I should’ve known that.”

“Yeah, you should’ve,” Christian agreed with a smile, kissing Dean softly before he pulled away again, remembering to reach down to make sure the condom didn’t slip off his softened cock.

Dean let him go and Christian settled back onto his knees to tug the condom off, and then he just sat there and looked at Dean for a long moment, enjoying the view. Dean blushed a bit but he was smiling as he let Christian get his fill of looking, and Christian found himself still feeling a little surprised by how much he liked what he saw. He thought he could happily spend _hours_ looking at Dean, which was getting scary the more he thought about it. Christian had been noticing men were sexy for a long time, but he had never really wanted to just sit and _stare_ at one before.

Eventually Christian dragged his gaze back up to Dean’s face as he murmured, “You’re beautiful, all smooth perfect skin and muscle.”

“Nah, just passable,” Dean said quietly, blushing darker even though he looked really pleased.

Christian moved to get off the bed, leaning down over Dean as he whispered, “Stop callin’ me a liar.” He kissed Dean before he could say anything, lingering a long moment before he pulled away to add softly, “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed, smiling with a tender expression in his greenish hazel eyes that made Christian want to kiss him again, so he did.

Christian pulled away again after a few moments and turned to walk into the bathroom, tossing the condom in the trash and then grabbing a rag to clean up a bit before he washed his hands. Fucking a man was messy, there was no denying that, but that wasn’t enough to make him even consider avoiding a repeat of what he had just done with Dean. He had been with a lot of women, even one he loved a lot more than was wise, but the last few hours had made everything he had ever done with a woman seem kind of boring by comparison. Sex with Dean had been so incredibly intense that Christian would gladly endure much worse than having to do a little cleanup afterwards as long as it meant he could be with Dean again.

Christian looked at himself in the mirror over the sink, his eyes widening as he realized that what he was feeling really had only two possible explanations. Either he was a lot more gay than he had ever thought, or he was quickly falling for a man he had known for only a few hours.

After thinking about if for only a few moments, Christian was very sure he knew which one was the answer, even though it scared him more than a little bit. He wanted to fuck Dean again and explore every inch of his muscular, freckled body, but he wasn’t any more interested in men in general than he had been before he set eyes on Dean. If anything, he was _less_ interested in meeting some other guy.

Christian grabbed a clean washrag and wet it down with hot water before turning to head back to the bed and Dean. Standing around naked as the day he was born and panicking about it wasn’t going to change anything, and he didn’t want Dean to think he was freaking out about what had just happened. He wasn’t, not really. It was his own feelings that scared him, but as he moved back into the bedroom where he could see Dean, the fact he might be falling for him suddenly seemed a lot less frightening.

Dean was still lying on his back, his head turned away from Christian as he looked at the shelves of books on the other side of the bed. He was beautiful all sprawled out and relaxing on Christian’s bed like he belonged there, and Christian realized suddenly that he did.

It wasn’t just any ass Christian wanted. It was Dean’s muscular body he wanted under him, Dean’s hazel-green eyes he wanted looking at him like he was a god come to life, the addictively unique flavor of Dean’s skin he wanted on his lips. It was fast, and it was still frightening, but he already knew enough to know Dean fit into his life better than anyone he had ever brought home with him. He thought they could build something that would last if they tried just a little bit, and he suddenly realized that he wanted that pretty damned badly.

Christian smiled and crossed the room to the bed as he murmured, “Find something interesting?”

“Your books,” Dean said as he looked at Christian, pleased and relaxed. “You’ve got good taste. I see a few of my favorites.”

“I read a lot on set, waitin’ for them to get to my scenes.” Christian sat on the bed by Dean’s hip, still smiling as he murmured, “You’re welcome to any of ‘em you want to read. I read everything in the house already except the stack by my chair in the livin’ room.”

“I’d like that, thanks,” Dean said softly, smiling softly as he moved his right hand to Christian’s knee. “Does that include the books on horses?”

Christian reached out stroke the washrag slowly over Dean’s chest and belly, wiping away the pale smeared streaks there as he murmured, “If you like, sure.”

Dean blushed as the washrag moved lower, but when Christian was through gently cleaning his cock, he didn’t hesitate to pull one knee up to his chest to give Christian easier access to his ass. “I always liked horses, but I don’t know much about them. It’d be nice to have some idea what I’m doin’.”

Christian gently cleaned Dean up and then looked away as he twisted to toss the rag into the basket of dirty clothes by the bathroom door. He turned back towards Dean to give him a soft smile as he watched Dean scoot over a little to make more room for him in bed. “I’ll be glad to teach you anything you wanna know.”

Dean smiled, running his hand slowly up Christian’s thigh as he murmured, “You can start tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me,” Christian agreed, reaching for the lube and condoms. He put them back on the bedside table as he stood and then reached for the sheet bunched up at the foot of the bed to tug it upwards and cover Dean’s legs. He turned off the lamp and then slid into bed, moving into Dean’s arms as he whispered, “Tonight I got plans.”

“Oh yeah?” Dean murmured softly, stroking his fingers through Christian’s short hair as he rolled onto his side facing Christian.

“Yeah,” Christian agreed, settling in close to Dean’s chest and sliding his arms around Dean’s waist as he murmured, “I’m gonna hold you all night, an’ then tomorrow I’m gonna fuck you g’mornin’ before I make you a nice steak for breakfast.”

“Don’t wake me,” Dean whispered with a smile. “I like this dream.”

Christian just chuckled and kissed him.

 

~*~

 

Dean was wide awake despite the fact that the silvery light at the edges of the window across the room was barely beginning to lighten enough to see it, but he was so comfortable in Christian’s arms that he hadn’t moved.

Christian was warm and solid against his back, his arms around Dean’s waist and his nose against the nape of Dean’s neck so that Dean could feel every slow breath he took, soft and warm against his skin. He wanted to enjoy the moment with Christian as long as he could, even though he was pretty sure he’d get the chance to repeat the experience. Dean hadn’t woken up in a man’s arms since he was nineteen, and even then it had only happened a few times. Waking up with Christian that morning made Dean remember how much he had loved it, even though there was still a twinge of pain connected to the memory of the last time it had happened.

The early morning silence was shattered suddenly as Dean’s cell phone began playing a familiar song that made Dean sigh, even though he had expected to hear it before too much longer. “ _I'm a piece of work, I'm iron and lace, I'm shy, right up there in your face. I'm all dumbfounded, stubborn as an ass, sharp as an arrow in a pile of glass. I'm a sweetheart, genius, restless jerk. Lord have mercy, I'm a piece of work.”_

There was a short pause and then the music began again, and Christian let out a low annoyed sound as he rolled away from Dean. _“I'm a piece of work, I'm iron and lace, I'm shy, right up there in your face. I'm all dumb—“_

The music broke off abruptly and then Christian growled, “Hello?”

Dean rolled to look towards Christian, amused at how pissed Christian sounded, and then he could just barely hear Jensen’s surprised voice say, “Uh…  Hi. Is Dean there?”

“Well no shit, dumbass, you did call his phone,” Christian said, his voice husky and rough with sleep and irritation. “What the hell do you want, Jenny? It ain’t even light outside yet.”

“I just … wanted to make sure he’s okay,” Jensen said, and he sounded a little confused, which made Dean grin. “He didn’t come home last night.”

Someone snickered in the background as Christian said gruffly, “I thought that was kinda _the point_ of you throwin’ him at me, Jenny.”

Dean smirked and shifted closer to Christian so he could hear better as Jensen said a little more firmly, “My name is _Jensen_.”

Christian snorted. “You called an’ woke me up before the damned _sun_ is even up, after I was awake most of the night. You’re lucky I’m not callin’ you a _lot_ worse than _Jenny_.”

Dean snickered and kissed Christian’s shoulder, thinking that he was all kinds of awesome. It had been sometime after three when they finally drifted off to sleep, so Jensen definitely deserved to have his tail twisted for calling to wake them up at five-thirty, whether Dean was already awake or not.

“I guess I deserve that one,” Jensen admitted after a short silence, sounding sheepish. “I didn’t think about his phone waking you up too.”

“You shouldn’t be tormentin' him either,” Christian pointed out just a bit sharply. “I kinda doubt he makes it a habit to be up this early when he has company.”

“He’s _always_ up by dawn, and he’d think I didn’t love him anymore if I stopped teasing him,” Jensen said, still sounding sheepish. “I won’t bug him when he’s with you anymore, though. Not before daylight, anyway.”

“Then you won’t be buggin’ him before dawn,” Christian said calmly, stating it like a fact and sounding so sure of himself that Dean chuckled.

Jensen was quiet a long moment and then said slowly, “You two just _met_ last night.”

“I know all I need to know about him,” Christian said, amused as he looked at Dean, running his free hand along Dean’s side. “Dean’s gonna be with me a lot if I have any say in it.”

Dean smiled at Christian, feeling warm and happy as he stared into Christian’s eyes in the dimly lit room. “Sounds nice.”

“Whoa,” Jensen said, and Dean almost laughed at how much he sounded like Joey Lawrence.

Christian chuckled and then changed the subject abruptly. “You got plans for later today, Jenny?”

“No, not really,” Jensen said, still sounding kind of surprised. “Why?”

“You wanna follow Stevie out here for a barbecue?” Christian asked. “The boys are all comin’, an’ then we’re gonna play ‘til we get too drunk to stand or too tired to drink, whichever comes first.”

“You can even drive my baby,” Dean added with a soft laugh, “as long as you bring my guitar. The case is under my bed.”

Christian looked at Dean in surprise, his eyes going wide. “You have a _guitar_?”

Dean smiled at Christian, nodding as he felt his face heating up just a bit. “Yeah. A 1938 Martin. A friend gave it to me a long time ago, when I was in high school.” He paused and then added, “The guy I mentioned last night. He was into music in a major way, an’ he taught me to play.”

“Damn, baby,” Christian murmured with a slow, pleased smile. “Every time I think you can’t get any better, you go an’ prove me wrong. Next you’ll be tellin’ me you sing, too.”

Dean laughed and blushed even redder as Jensen said, “He does. He’s got a _great_ voice, and he can make that guitar of his sound like an angel’s playing it.”

“Chris is so done,” Steve said in the background then, and Dean smiled slightly despite his lingering blush at the way Christian just stared into his eyes and made no effort to deny it

“Steve knows the way home,” Christian said after a long moment of silence, “even if he don’t bother to show up here more ‘n once a week. You boys have fun buyin’ the meat later, an’ bring plenty of ice and somethin’ to drink when you come. We’re damn near out of root beer, and down to one six-pack of Corona, which won’t last until tonight.”

“Wait a second,” Jensen said quickly. “Ask Dean how I’m supposed to drive his car when he’s got the keys.”

“They’re in my top drawer,” Dean said. “I just told him I was takin’ ‘em with me.”

Christian snickered. “You hear that, Jenny?”

“Yeah, Christian, I heard him,” Jensen replied, then added a little more loudly, “Asshole.”

“Good,” Christian said, amused. “Knowin’ Stevie you two just got home, so y’all get a few hours of sleep. I got somebody I wanna say g’mornin’ to.”

“I thought you said you two just fell asleep a few hours ago,” Jensen said, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, but some _annoying ass_ woke us up,” Christian said dryly, “an’ now I’m wide awake, so I’m gonna get good an’ tired so I can get some more shut eye.” He smirked at Dean, who grinned back as Christian added, “Now go away, boy. Y' bother me. I’m gonna get laid.” He flipped the phone closed without giving Jensen a chance to say anything else, dropping the cell phone back on the bedside table without looking at it as he murmured, “Good mornin’, babe.”

“I kinda recall someone promisin’ to fuck me g’mornin’,” Dean teased softly, smirking.

Christian grinned wickedly and rolled towards him, pushing Dean onto his back on the bed and looking down at him as he purred, “Sounds like he better get busy.”

Christian ducked to claim Dean’s mouth in a hungry kiss without any more hesitation, and Dean purred happily into the kiss as he reached for Christian, pulling him down on top of him.

 

 


	2. Part Two

 

Christian woke for the second time that morning when he heard a horse neigh loudly outside, not far from his bedroom window.

There was no doubt in Christian’s mind that it was Cisco doing the complaining. It was _always_ Cisco that complained if breakfast was much past the time the sun got over the horizon, and usually Christian would get up and get moving for the day, but that morning he had a very good reason to stay right where he was.

Christian hummed very softly as he tightened his arms around Dean, nuzzling into Dean’s hair and just enjoying the feeling of holding him while Dean was curled up against his chest. Having a man in his bed wasn’t something Christian had ever experienced before the previous night, not in any sexual way at least, and he was still a little surprised how much he liked it. Dean’s back was warm and solid under his hands, firm muscle pressed close against him in places Christian was used to a woman having much softer curves, but it still somehow felt right to be holding him.

Christian had always enjoyed sex with women and frequently spent several hours in bed with a woman refreshing his memory on the subject, but he had been thinking about men more and more often the last few years. He had blamed it on being in LA – some days it seemed like everyone he knew was bisexual, except Steve and David – and around so many people of his own gender that openly flirted with him, but he wasn’t sure that was really the reason, not anymore.

Christian’s second favorite hobby had been fucking women since he caught his first buckle bunny when he was fifteen, but over the years there had only really been one girl who affected him deeply enough to make him willing to do anything he had to do to keep her. He had done a lot he wasn’t proud of while he was trying to make Michelle care about him as much as he loved her, but he hadn’t succeeded. They were together most of a year, and they were just getting started good in college when he skipped his equine nutrition class to be with her one afternoon and found her in his bed with another man. It had devastated him, and seeing her around campus with the other guy afterwards was so painful that he had dropped out of college and moved to LA, leaving behind everything he had ever loved except for his Bronco and his guitar.

Christian hadn’t allowed himself to get serious about anyone since then, getting laid often but seldom going back for seconds. He didn’t want any girl to accidentally get the idea he loved her when he was just feeling a little touch-starved, so he had been careful to make it plain from the start that he was just looking for a little fun, no strings needed or wanted. He hadn’t had any trouble finding girls who liked that idea since he got the part on _Fame_ , so he had never found a reason to try for anything more. It sometimes bothered him that most of the girls had never really seen _him_ , just the guy that was on TV or singing on stage in some club, but it didn’t bother him enough to make him want to risk the kind of pain he had gone through when he left Oklahoma.

Asking Dean out to dinner the night before had just been a preliminary for what they both really wanted. Christian had known it as well as Dean did, long before either of them got up the nerve to actually speak to the other, so it hadn’t surprised him at all that he ended up taking Dean home. It was everything _after_ he got Dean to his place that had surprised him, and maybe even fixed something that Christian hadn’t really noticed was wrong.

Several years of fucking mostly strangers he would never speak to again hadn’t seemed like a bad thing because everyone got what they wanted, but by the time Dean finished feeding Lady the night before, Christian had already begun to realize that wasn’t what he wanted with Dean. Sex with Dean had been nothing like sex with a woman, despite the fact Christian had still been the one doing all of the fucking. Christian had expected another guy would fight him for control a little more during sex, but that wasn’t what had happened. Dean had been glad to let Christian take the dominant role, seemed to crave it even, and having Dean so willing and eager had pushed buttons Christian hadn’t known he had.

As Christian laid there thinking about the night before, he realized that after just one night with Dean he had already broken his own rule about never getting attached to someone he had sex with. The more he thought about it, the more sure he was that he was already in over his head by the time Dean followed him into the house the night before, though he hadn’t realized it then. He cared about Dean a lot more than he had expected to, wanted to hold him and protect him and make him happy, but he also wanted to keep Dean so _he_ could be happy.

After sleeping with Dean in his arms, Christian knew there would be no chance of him taking Dean home and then forgetting about him. Getting laid that morning had turned into slow exploration and it had surprised Christian how much he cared about learning what Dean liked instead of just trying to get them both off as quickly as possible. He wanted to know every inch of Dean’s body, everywhere a slow lick could make Dean moan and every little spot where a well-placed bite would make Dean writhe and let out that needy little whimper that went straight to Christian’s cock, and he didn’t really care how long it took him to find them all.

The part that scared Christian a little was the fact that he wanted so much more than the fantastic sex. He wanted to hear Dean laugh at his jokes, and to watch Dean with his horses, and to just sit and talk to him and hang out, and a million other things that he was sure would be even better if he was doing them with Dean. He wanted to fall asleep with Dean in his arms and wake to the soft sound of Dean’s breathing, and share a cup of coffee with him while they watched the sunrise, or go for an early morning ride with Dean solid and warm against his back.

And Christian knew there was no guarantee that Dean would feel the same way, which scared him a lot more than he wanted to admit to, even to himself.

Cisco neighed again, and then Dean murmured quietly, “Somebody’s feelin’ neglected.”

Christian was surprised to realize Dean sounded wide awake, and he pulled back to look down at him as he asked softly, “How long have you been awake?”

“A while,” Dean replied, amused as he pulled back just enough to look at Christian. “I don’t sleep much.”

“You didn’t have to stay in bed,” Christian pointed out, still surprised and feeling just a little confused.

“I wanted to,” Dean murmured, kissing Christian lovingly before he settled close again and relaxed. He was quiet for a moment and then added so quietly Christian could barely hear him, “I kinda like you holdin’ me.”

Christian gave Dean a gentle squeeze and closed his eyes, feeling relieved as he whispered against his hair, “I like holdin’ you.”

“Nice to know.” Dean nuzzled Christian’s chest with a low pleased hum, his lips brushing against Christian’s skin in a soft kiss. “I’d really like to get used to this.”

Christian started slowly stroking Dean’s back as he murmured, “Then I guess you’ll have to sleep here more often, babe.”

“That could be arranged, if you really want me to,” Dean said quietly. “Jensen won’t mind me not wakin’ him up at dawn when I head down the hall to turn on the coffee pot.”

Christian smiled, feeling suddenly very happy and luckier than he had any right to be. “I like a cup of coffee while I watch the sunrise.”

“Same here,” Dean agreed. “Most mornings it’s just me an’ some coffee out in our back yard, watchin’ the sun come up over the hills.”

“Sounds nice,” Christian said quietly. “I usually feed horses and then drink my coffee an’ watch the sunrise while they eat. If I have time after that, we go for a ride, just me an’ them.”

“You take Cisco?” Dean asked, pulling back to look at Christian with a sweet smile.

“Yeah, he’d raise hell if I left him home alone,” Christian said, smiling at Dean. “He hates bein’ by himself.”

“I know how he feels,” Dean admitted softly, gazing into Christian’s eyes. “I never liked bein’ alone. Too many years of sharin’ a room when I was a kid.”

“Sounds to me like you need to take a lesson from Cisco, then,” Christian said gently, moving one hand to stroke through Dean’s silky hair. “He’s not afraid to tell people what he wants if he’s not gettin’ it.” Cisco neighed again outside, almost as if he had heard that, and Christian smiled. “Kinda like he’s doin’ right now.”

Dean stared into Christian’s eyes for a moment longer and then said very quietly, “I know we haven’t known each other long, but that doesn’t really seem important compared to how I feel with you. I like it, and I want to spend a lot more time with you.”

Christian smiled. “I’m glad, baby. That makes it easier for me, since I don’t want you to be anywhere else.”

Dean smiled too, looking shy but very pleased as he leaned closer, obviously wanting a kiss.

Christian was happy to oblige.

 

~*~

 

After Christian and Dean were through with their shower, Christian had gone into Steve’s room to rummage around for some pants Dean could wear while Dean put his own clothes in the washer. Christian hadn’t been able to find his sweats for Dean to borrow, which he had said meant that Steve had stolen them all again. Steve couldn’t wear any of Christian’s jeans so he never took them, but Christian’s shirts and sweats fit Steve just fine, so Christian always knew where they had gone if they went missing.

Wearing a pair of Christian’s jeans hadn’t been an option for Dean either after he found out the hard way he couldn’t button Christian’s baggiest pair of jeans, which had led to Christian teasing him about his ‘big ass’. Christian had already made it obvious that he enjoyed Dean’s ass, which he had called delicious earlier that morning, so Dean took the teasing in the friendly way it was intended and was quick to retaliate by calling Christian’s ass scrawny. Christian’s ass was actually pretty exceptional in Dean’s opinion, but Christian was narrower through the hips than Dean was and that naturally led to him having a smaller ass and wearing smaller jeans.

Dean had started the laundry while Christian looked for clothes to fit him, wearing nothing but a towel until Christian stepped out of the back door in just his jeans with an armload of clothes. Christian had smirked and stolen the towel as he told Dean he just happened to have a condom in his pocket, which led to them having sex on the back porch in the morning sunshine while Cisco complained about the delay getting his breakfast. It was the first time Dean had ever had sex bent over a running washing machine, and afterwards he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to repeat the experience. The vibration of the washer against his cock and balls had driven Dean over the edge entirely too fast to suit him, even though it had been so intense at the time that he almost blacked out when he came.

Dean had eventually managed to get Christian to go inside so he could clean up and get dressed in the clothes Christian had found for him. A tank top that clung to his body like a second skin and an old pair of Steve’s jeans that only stayed on Dean’s hips if he cinched his belt up tight weren’t exactly Dean’s idea of what he wanted to wear, but he was still glad to have them for the time being. He intended to put his own clothes back on as soon as they were clean and dry, which was why he stayed on the back porch even after he was dressed, waiting through the washer’s spin cycle so he could put the clothes in the dryer before he got distracted again.

Dean had just finished loading the dryer and was turning it on when Christian opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch carrying two large mugs of coffee that smelled like heaven to Dean.

Christian was fully dressed in a worn old pair of jeans with holes in the knees that fit like a second skin and a pale grey t-shirt with a dark green flannel over it that made his eyes seem even bluer, and Dean thought he looked pretty edible. Dean had thought Christian looked edible in everything he’d seen him wear so far though, even the preppy clothes Christian had worn at the studio, so that wasn’t saying much. Dean figured Christian could probably wear a burlap bag and make it look good.

“I hope you like Blue Mountain,” Christian said, smiling as he offered Dean a mug of coffee.

Dean accepted the coffee and inhaled happily, then murmured, “God. I haven’t had any real Jamaican coffee in _weeks_.” He leaned to kiss Christian soundly and then added, “You keep givin’ me the good stuff and you’ll never get rid of me.”

“I got about three pounds of beans now, an’ I know where I can get more,” Christian replied as he watched Dean sip the coffee, looking pleased and smug. “And I’ve got a French press to make it the right way, even.”

Dean felt his face heating up as he smiled at Christian, not taking a moment to think about it before he said quietly, “Sounds like maybe you want me to stick around.”

“I wouldn’t mind you movin’ in,” Christian agreed without hesitation, making Dean’s eyes go wide. “I know it’s fast, but I was serious about wantin’ you with me, babe. Wakin’ up with you this mornin’ was pretty awesome, an’ I don’t much want to go back to livin’ in an empty house.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Dean murmured uncertainly, staring into Christian’s calm blue eyes. He didn’t see even a hint of doubt in them, and after a moment he began to relax again as he admitted, “Except maybe that I feel the same way.”

Christian smiled. “Stay the weekend then, and if you still feel that way Monday mornin’, we can move your stuff in when I get done at the studio. I’ve only got one scene left to do for the episode they’re filmin’ this week, an’ it’s scheduled first thing so I’ll be out of there by noon, easy.”

“Okay,” Dean said quietly, smiling and feeling like he was soaring as he sipped at his coffee with a low pleased hum, even though part of him was terrified at the thought.

Cisco chose then to nicker at them again, making Dean chuckle as he looked towards the nearby horse pasture, where the colt was standing and watching them. Lady was a lot farther from the fence than Cisco was, grazing peacefully on sunburned grass and seemingly ignoring them even though Dean was sure she wasn’t really as oblivious to them as she pretended to be.

“I gotta go feed them before I can make breakfast,” Christian murmured, sounding amused.

Dean looked at Christian again, still smiling as he offered, “We could split the work. One of us feed ‘em while the other cooks.”

“You remember what I gave them last night?” Christian asked, looking a bit surprised and pleased.

“Cisco got a scoop of oats and a scoop of alfalfa, and Lady got two of oats and one of alfalfa,” Dean replied, amused. “It ain’t like it’s complicated.”

Christian grinned. “Go for it, babe. I’ll take care of breakfast.”

“Steak and eggs?” Dean asked hopefully, pleased that Christian would trust him with feeding the horses for him. It was obvious that Christian loved them, especially Cisco, who had followed Christian around like a big puppy the night before until he realized Dean had the feed buckets. Christian treated Cisco more like a treasured member of his family than a pet, and the colt had obviously returned the sentiment.

“With mushrooms for the steak,” Christian agreed, nodding.

“I won’t be long, as fast as they eat.” Dean leaned closer to Christian again and kissed him softly, and then he smiled and murmured, “Save me some coffee.”

“I will, baby,” Christian murmured with a smile, his free hand resting on Dean’s waist as he leaned in to kiss him again.

Dean swayed a little closer to Christian as he returned the kiss lovingly, just enjoying the simple pleasure of sweet coffee-flavored kisses until he heard something clang into the pipe fence and pulled away from Christian in surprise to look towards the noise. Cisco was standing at the fence with one front foot on the bottom pipe, and Dean had to chuckle as he looked back at Christian. “I’m thinkin’ he wants me to get a move on.”

Christian smiled, amused. “I told you he’d let us know when he wants somethin’. He’s a smart one.”

“I better go feed him,” Dean said, smiling.

Christian kissed Dean again and then turned away to head back into the kitchen as he said, “I’ll have breakfast ready when you get back.”

Dean smiled and walked down the steps, glad he had taken the time to step into his boots before he left Christian’s room and sipping at his coffee as he headed around the end of the house towards the barn. He had learned the hard way just after he moved in with Jensen that wandering around barefoot in California was often a bad idea because the sun would heat up the ground hot enough to fry an egg. It was still fairly early in the day as far as Dean was concerned, and he had only been wearing a towel when he stepped into his boots, but the sun was high already so he wasn’t about to chance heading outside barefoot.

Cisco nickered happily and whirled away from the fence to run to the barn, nose and tail in the air as he ran around behind it, disappearing for only a moment before Dean rounded the corner of the house and saw Cisco was in the barn with his head over the barn gate, ears pricked at Dean as he nickered again.

Dean laughed and walked along the end of the trailer past Christian’s bedroom window as he called, “I’m comin’, damn. I know you’re not starving.”

Cisco whirled away and ran back out of the barn, galloping to the fence near Dean and then prancing along it, watching Dean with his head cocked to the side, and Dean laughed again as he crossed the slab of concrete under the patio awning he had mistaken for a carport the night before. Dean barely noticed passing behind the grills that were on the patio, his attention completely absorbed in watching Cisco show off for him.

The colt was beautiful, all fire and grace without having a mean bone in his body, and Dean thought it was a shame that Christian planned to geld him. Christian couldn’t keep Cisco as a stallion in the same pasture with his mother, but he didn’t have the room to really separate them so he wasn’t going to have much choice in the matter even though he wanted to keep Cisco intact. Christian had said his only other option would be to sell Lady, but he didn’t know anyone he’d trust her to that happened to be looking for a good mare.

Cisco swerved away from the fence as Dean got closer to the barn, running around the back to go inside again and wait at the barn’s front gate for Dean. Dean paused by the corner of the barn and looked over towards Lady. The mare was still grazing and pretending to ignore him, though she was drifting slowly towards the back of the barn as she ate.

“C’mon, Lady,” Dean called with a chuckle, “Don’t make me come hunting you with a bucket to get you in the barn.”

Lady lifted her head at the sound of her name to look at him, then went right back to grazing, making Dean snort in amusement. She wasn’t nearly as friendly as Cisco, even with Christian, though she obviously liked Christian a lot more than she liked Dean. Dean didn’t take it personally because the mare barely knew him, but it still made him like Cisco a little more than he liked Lady.

Cisco nickered softly then, drawing Dean’s attention back to the colt, and Dean walked up to the front of the barn, reaching through the pipe gate to pat Cisco’s sleek shoulder. “I’m here, fellah. You’ll get your feed in just a minute.”

Cisco huffed out another soft noise that didn’t quite make it to a nicker, reaching over the gate to nuzzle Dean’s cheek, and Dean smiled as he lifted his hand to stroke the colt’s jaw.

“G’mornin’ to you too, Cisco.” Dean moved to open the gate, swinging it out just enough for him to slip inside and then latching it securely again before he turned towards Cisco and chuckled softly at a sudden face full of pink muzzle. “I _said_ g’morning.”

Dean moved closer to Cisco’s shoulder to greet the colt the way Christian had the night before when Cisco was getting up in his face, sliding one arm around Cisco’s neck as the colt laid his head over Dean’s shoulder in what felt remarkably like a hug. Cisco leaned against him and was still as he relaxed with a sigh, and Dean smiled as he wondered if all mustangs were so affectionate if they were caught young, or if it was just Cisco, or even just something unique to horses Christian had raised.

Whatever the reason for it, Dean kind of loved it, and he just leaned against Cisco for a few minutes, closing his eyes and enjoying the colt’s solid warmth and the smell of horses and hay and clean desert air as he thought about Christian’s offer to let him move in.

Dean didn’t really like living in LA, which was far removed from the small towns and secluded run-down trailers and shacks he had spent half his life in. He had never really slept through the night, often staying up late to get things like the laundry done after Sam was asleep and _always_ awake again at the slightest noise, but in LA Dean slept less than ever. The neighborhood Jensen’s house was in on the south side wasn’t an especially good one, and their neighbors seemed to think that daytime was for sleeping. There were always cars passing by at night and people making noise even in the wee hours of the morning, and Dean had been awakened by the sound of gunfire often enough that he had hidden guns in several places around the house just in case he needed one in a hurry.

Listening to music quietly enough not to bother Jensen across the hall hadn’t helped Dean sleep any better, so he had tried sleeping with earphones on so he could turn the music up louder in an attempt to drown out the sounds of the city. The earphones fell off if he moved too much, which would wake him up, and sometimes if they didn’t fall off he’d wake up with a headache from wearing the earphones all night. It caused Dean to need his early mornings outside with a cup of coffee more than ever, but years of being taught to be wary of the world made it hard for him to ignore the hustle and bustle of LA even then. It truly _was_ a city that never slept, and living there was making Dean get closer and closer to doing the same thing.

The feel of Christian’s place was just the opposite of what Dean felt in the house he shared with Jensen, and it was just one more reason that Dean hoped things would work out between them. Christian’s trailer was far enough out of town to feel like country to Dean even though it was barely a half hour drive from LA proper – half that if Christian was driving – and it was blessedly quiet. The furniture was comfortably worn and sturdy enough Dean didn’t feel like he might break it if he wasn’t careful, and there was a relaxed, homey feel to everything that made Dean want to spend more time there. The fact that Christian had two beautiful horses Dean was allowed to play with was just icing on an already pretty damned amazing cake.

The thought of living with Christian where he wouldn’t wake up to sirens anymore and would never have to sleep alone filled Dean with a very unfamiliar but welcome feeling. He felt like he should probably panic at the idea of any man he had just met making him feel _safe_ , but the idea of living with Christian didn’t scare him at all. If anything, it made him feel happy and hopeful, which wasn’t something he was really used to. Dean knew that he was getting much more attached to the man and his horses than was probably smart, but he couldn’t make himself try to slow down whatever was happening between them.

No relationship in Dean’s life had ever fallen into place so easily except one, but he hoped that a relationship with Christian would work out much better than his relationship with Puck had gone. Dean figured he had a good chance since Christian seemed to really care about him and was actually single instead of already in love with someone else like Puck had been when Dean met him. Dean had loved Kurt too, but not quite the same way he loved Puck, even though he knew that he had never even gotten close to being first in Puck’s heart. Puck had loved him, Dean didn’t doubt that even a little, but Kurt had owned Puck’s heart and soul before Dean even met them, and Dean had known from the start he could never compete with that.

Dean wanted that for himself, though, wanted someone who loved _him_ more than anything, and he thought that he might have a chance at that with Christian. He knew that if he wanted to try to build a serious relationship with Christian it would mean not lying to him, and he was trying hard not to even though it went against everything he knew about the world. He thought he could trust Christian with everything, he _felt_ it in an instinctive way that Dean seldom experienced but had always paid attention to, and he didn’t need to understand it to believe in it. His instincts seldom spoke to him so strongly, but when they did they were usually right on the money.

Dean finally patted Cisco’s shoulder and pulled away after a few minutes, murmuring, “I’ll never get you and your momma fed if I just stand around lettin’ you hug me.”

Cisco watched interestedly as Dean moved away to walk down the barn aisle towards Cisco’s stall, and Dean hadn’t gone far before Cisco was walking right at his shoulder. Cisco went into the stall when they reached the gate without any prompting from Dean, and he smiled as he closed the stall. “I’ll get your feed now, fellah.”

Dean headed back to the front of the barn and went into the feed room to put down his coffee and make feed buckets, and when he came out a few minutes later he laughed. Lady was standing at the back of the barn watching with interest, and Dean grinned as he started towards her stall with her bucket. “C’mon, Lady,” he said, rattling the feed in the bucket as he walked. “Time for breakfast.”

Lady just stood and watched until Dean got to the feeder at the back of her stall, and then she finally started to walk down the aisle to the door of her stall. She stopped there with just her head in the stall, looking at Dean, and he chuckled as he dumped her feed into the feeder. Lady started forward again immediately, walking straight to the feeder to shove her head into it and take a huge bite of feed.

Dean laughed quietly and ran his hand over the mare’s dusty neck, stroking slowly as he muttered, “Yeah, you’re so worried about me gettin’ near you.”

Lady ignored him, too busy eating her grain to care what he was doing, and after a moment Dean patted her shoulder and then walked out of the stall, closing the gate before he crossed to the feed room to put Lady’s bucket down and grab Cisco’s. Cisco nickered and pranced back and forth in his stall a bit as Dean walked towards it, but as soon as Dean reached the stall gate the colt settled down, just watching Dean.

Dean smiled as he opened the stall and slipped inside, latching the gate and then offering Cisco the bucket. “Here you go, Cisco. Grab a bite.”

The colt didn’t hesitate to bury his nose in the feed, grabbing a huge bite of oats and alfalfa pellets before he lifted his head again to look at Dean, ears pricked alertly while he chewed. Dean chuckled and patted Cisco’s shoulder with his free hand, moving past the colt towards the feeder to dump Cisco’s grain. Cisco put his head in the feeder a moment later and Dean smiled. He put down the empty bucket and then started to run his hands slowly over Cisco’s dusty hide, brushing away dirt and bits of hay as he wondered idly where Christian kept his brushes.

Dean knew that horses got brushed, but not much more than that really, and wouldn’t have known what to look for if he went to the feed room to try and find a brush. He settled for using his hands to wipe the colt down, amused at the way Cisco leaned into his touch and occasionally wiping the dirt off of his hands onto his borrowed jeans.

 

~*~

 

Christian heard the front door open and looked over towards the breakfast bar as someone walked quickly towards it, chuckling in amusement when he saw Dean. The previously white tank top Dean was wearing had gotten streaked with dust, and when Dean rounded the end of the bar Christian saw that Dean’s baggy borrowed jeans had dusty smudges all over the thighs where Dean had obviously wiped his hands after petting the horses.

“Breakfast smells great,” Dean said with a grin, putting his empty coffee mug on the breakfast bar and then moving to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

“And you’re just in time to eat, too,” Christian said, and then he turned back to the stove to give the mushrooms one last stir before he moved the pan to divide the mushrooms onto the two plated steaks that were waiting on the counter by the stove.

Christian was grinning as he worked, glad that Dean had enjoyed himself with the horses, and more importantly that the horses liked Dean. He knew Dean had gotten along fine with them because he had stood at the window in the living room watching just in case Dean needed help. He was very pleased that Dean hadn’t hesitated to love on Cisco even when the colt was being pushy, and the way Dean had taken the time to lean against Cisco and relax had made him more certain than ever that he wanted Dean to stick around. Christian had spoiled Cisco a little bit, he knew, and it was important to him that anyone who handled the colt saw Cisco’s friendly nature and need for affection as what it was, not the bullying that was so much more common in young stallions.

Dean obviously got along great with Cisco, but Christian had lingered at the window after Dean went to mix buckets anyway, waiting until Dean got Lady fed just to be sure she didn’t give Dean trouble catching her. She didn’t, walking into her stall without a fuss and going straight to her feeder and Dean, so Christian knew that next time Dean fed the horses he wouldn’t have to worry or watch. He was already sure there would be a next time – there had been times in the past when he wished for someone Lady liked that wouldn’t mind feeding for him, and he knew there would be more in the future – and he was very glad to finally have someone Lady would allow to catch and feed her without a fuss.

Christian put the empty pan in the sink and then grabbed a towel, opening the oven to take out a small nonstick skillet filled almost to the brim with a large fluffy omelet. He cut the omelet in it in half with a nylon spatula and then split it between the two plates, grinning at the way the cheddar cheese and bacon in the omelet oozed out of the cut edge. He put the second empty skillet and spatula in the sink with the other pan and then grabbed the plates to move them to the breakfast bar, giving Dean a pleased grin. “Grub’s on.”

“And lookin’ almost as good as the cook,” Dean added as he took a seat at the breakfast bar and reached for the full French press to refill his coffee mug.

Christian laughed as he put the plates down, delighted that Dean felt that way. “You must not be near as hungry as I am.”

Dean grinned. “I could put away both those plates right now and still have room for dessert, but that don’t mean you’re ever gonna be anything less than the sexiest thing in the room.”

Christian felt his face heating up as he moved away from the bar to go get them something to drink, but he was grinning from ear to ear. “What do you want to drink, babe? Besides coffee, I mean.” He opened the fridge to look inside, then looked back at Dean. “There’s orange juice an’ some A&W, but that’s pretty much it other than water, unless you want a Corona.”

“Root beer,” Dean said, grinning. “Never a bad time for A&W, unless you got a case of Barq’s hidin’ around here.”

Christian laughed and got out two cans of A&W, carrying them back to the breakfast bar as he teased, “Now you sound like me.”

“We do keep findin’ we got a lot in common,” Dean agreed with a grin, and then took a sip of his coffee with a low satisfied hum.

Christian sat down on the stool across from Dean and reached for the coffee to refill his own mug, smiling at Dean. “Like a tendency to get dirty when we get near a horse.”

Dean smirked, reaching for his silverware to start cutting up his steak as he teased, “It ain’t my fault your horses are dirty and Cisco wouldn’t hardly let me into the barn until he got a hug. _Somebody_ has damn near spoiled him rotten.”

Christian laughed, happy that Cisco liked Dean. “Nah, that just proves he’s got good taste, wantin’ you to give him a little lovin’.” Dean blushed as he let out a little surprised laugh, and Christian grinned as he added, “I told you he was a smart one.”

“Smart _ass_ , maybe, just like his owner,” Dean teased, still blushing as he took a bite of his steak and then made a low happy noise as he started chewing.

“People have been callin’ me a smartass since I was knee-high to a short horse,” Christian agreed then, amused and smug that Dean liked his cooking. “My granddad used to call me _Nuda Wahya_ , though, which is Cherokee for ‘crazy wolf’.”

Dean snickered, swallowing before he repeated with a grin, “Crazy Wolf, huh? Sounds like you were a handful as a kid.” He took another bite of steak, chewing slowly and obviously savoring it.

“Granddad knew how to handle it, though,” Christian said with a soft laugh as he thought about his grandfather. His parents had lived just down the road from the old man, and Christian had started making the trip alone when he was five. He had practically lived with Granddad after that, and most of his favorite childhood memories involved him somehow. Christian’s looks didn’t really show his Native American ancestry, but he had grown up being raised like he was full-blooded Cherokee anyway, at least when he was with his grandfather. “Anytime I got into trouble I’d end up doin’ shit work while he got to ride, an’ I learned fast it wasn’t worth it.” He grinned. “I saved most of my mischief for when I was home, or in school.”

Dean snickered. “I bet you did.”

Christian just grinned and dug into his breakfast, and Dean wasn’t at all slow to follow his example.

They had both worked up an appetite that morning, after all.

 

~*~

 

Dean was just finishing off the last of his breakfast when he heard the sound of a familiar big engine rumbling up into the yard outside.

Christian looked surprised as he got up to head for the door. “That don’t sound like the Bronco.”

“That’s cause it’s my Impala,” Dean said, grinning as he stood to follow Christian towards the front door. “Jen never could sleep until noon, no matter how late he was up.”

Christian opened the front door then and stepped out onto the small porch at the top of the front steps, his eyebrows going up as he watched Jensen park right behind the Harley. “I know you said she was hot, baby, but damn.”

Dean smirked, smug as he stopped by Christian to give the Impala a visual once-over. Dean had paid good money to have her repainted after an unfortunate close encounter with a mule deer that didn’t live to regret jumping in front of her while Sam was driving down a snowy Colorado highway in the middle of nowhere, and she was looking better than ever. She was a little dusty just then from the drive up the dirt road, but it didn’t do much to detract from her sleek lines and flawless paintjob. “She is something, isn’t she?”

“Fuckin’ gorgeous,” Christian agreed, moving down the steps to walk towards the Impala.

Dean didn’t bother closing the door before he followed Christian, grinning widely as he watched Christian walk around in front of the Impala. Christian was grinning and looking kind of awed as he stepped back to look at the car, and it made Dean feel kind of smug and very pleased as he realized Christian actually appreciated his baby.

Dean was so absorbed in watching Christian admire the Impala that he hardly even noticed when Jensen and Steve got out of the car. Jensen poked him hard in the ribs after a minute or two, making Dean jump in surprise. “What the hell was that for?”

Jensen snickered and teased, “I just wanted to see if there was anybody home in there.”

“I’m awake!” Dean said, blushing as he laughed and rubbed his side. “Don’t be pokin’ me so hard, damn.” Christian walked back over to them then, casually draping an arm around Dean’s shoulders, and Dean automatically put his arm around Christian and leaned against his side as he glanced at Christian, smiling.

Christian winked at Dean and then smirked at Jensen as he said, “Keep your hands off my baby, or I’ll have to kick your ass.”

Jensen laughed, his eyebrows going up. “His _baby_?” he repeated, staring at Dean.

Dean felt his face getting hotter, but he didn’t pull away from Christian even a little bit. “Don’t start, Jen.”

“Oh, I have to start,” Jensen said, laughing even though he looked surprised and a little concerned. “You _just_ _met him_ , Dean.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dean said, shrugging one shoulder slightly. He was embarrassed to be having that particular conversation with Jensen in front of Steve and Christian, but not embarrassed enough to try and avoid it. “People are always talkin’ about how you can meet somebody and just _know_ , but I never did believe in it until now.”

Christian murmured, “Same here, babe.”

Dean looked at Christian, smiling and feeling suddenly warm as he stared into Christian’s eyes. “Lucky me.”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Steve said suddenly, and Dean looked at him in surprise to see that Steve was grinning widely at Christian. “You went and _fell_ for the boy.”

Dean looked quickly back at Christian, who was blushing and looking at Steve. “Startin’ to look that way, yeah,” Christian admitted. “I know it’s crazy, Stevie, but I can’t see bein’ happy without him around.” He turned his head to look into Dean’s eyes again, blue eyes warm and gentle. “I’m kinda hopin’ he feels the same.”

“Yeah,” Dean admitted, feeling his face heat up a little more as he gave Christian a shy smile. “Can’t help it.”

“Good,” Christian murmured, and then he kissed Dean so lovingly that Dean couldn’t restrain a soft little sound as he turned towards Christian more, lifting his free hand to Christian’s neck and then sliding it up into Christian’s short hair as he deepened the kiss. Christian hummed softly as he moved his hands down to Dean’s hips, tugging Dean closer as he shifted his stance so their bodies were snug against each other from knee to chest while they kissed, slow and languid with no attempt to move past kissing into more.

They had been kissing for several minutes when Jensen suddenly said, “It probably should bother me how good they look together, since Dean looks just like me.” Dean and Christian pulled apart, both blushing as they looked at Jensen, but Jensen was ignoring them as he looked at Steve and added, “And I should’ve brought Dean some clothes like I started to instead of listening to you. I _told_ you Christian said he expected Dean to be sleeping out here a lot.”

Steve laughed. “Hell, Chris never lets _anybody_ he screws around with stay here longer than overnight, if he lets them stay at all. How was I supposed to know Dean’d be the first exception to the rule?”

“Never?” Dean asked, looking at Christian in surprise.

Christian gave Dean a crooked little smile as he murmured, “I told you you’re special, babe.”

Dean smiled and moved to kiss Christian again instead of trying to put how that made him feel into words. He didn’t think he could, but he thought Christian would understand the emotion behind the kiss, and the low pleased growl from Christian a moment later made him sure he was right. Dean lingered a moment longer and then pulled away to give Christian a soft smile as he murmured, “For what it’s worth, I don’t usually want to stay for long, either.”

Jensen laughed. “Or _ever_. Every time he hooks up with one of my friends, the girl calls _me_ in the middle of the night to bitch because he won’t answer his cell and she wants to know why she woke up alone.”

Dean blushed and looked at Jensen. “It was _twice_ , damn! You make it sound like that happens all the time.”                      

Steve laughed and teased, “Crap at picking up girls, huh Dean?”

Dean snorted and looked at Steve. “No, I’m just a lot pickier than Jenny.”

“Oh hell no!” Jensen exclaimed, laughing. “It’s bad enough your new boyfriend keeps calling me that, I am _so_ not taking it from you too, you ass.”

Dean blinked and then looked at Christian, curious and grinning a bit. “Are you my new boyfriend?”

“You sure you wanna go there? To hear my last few girlfriends tell it, I suck at bein’ a boyfriend,” Christian said with a soft little laugh. “I didn’t like ‘em more than my horses.” He paused, then added, “Or my bike.”

Dean grinned. “I’d be happy as hell with comin’ in third in that lineup, as long as I get to play with the other two.” He grinned wider, adding, “Especially if somebody actually teaches me to ride like he said he would.”

“I let you feed ‘em an’ get on Lady’s good side already,” Chris said with a pleased grin. “Ridin’ her is definitely next on the list, once I get the dishes done and dinner is in the smoker.”

“While you were with him, right?” Steve said suddenly, making Dean look at him in surprise.

“Not exactly,” Christian said, and when Dean looked at him he saw Christian was looking kind of sheepish. “He dumped buckets for me last night while I put out hay, an’ then this mornin’ he fed while I was makin’ breakfast.”

Steve stared at Christian for a full minute before he said, “Chris, man, I’m _happy_ to see you head over heels for somebody, don’t get me wrong, but you’re starting to scare me. You won’t even trust _me_ to feed the horses for you, and we’ve been living together for over a year.”

Christian blushed and looked down at the ground, running one hand through his hair. “It’s not like that, Stevie, it’s—“ He broke off and was quiet a moment and then looked at Steve again, shaking his head. “You _know_ I trust you, bro, but not lettin’ you feed for me has never been about that.”

“Then what is it about?” Steve asked, looking confused and unhappy.

Christian sighed. “You know how to handle horses, Stevie, but you don’t really _like_ them that much. You hate it when Cisco gets all up in your face being pushy for attention, and Lady won’t let you near her unless I catch her first. I mean, sure, you treat ‘em good and all, and you know all the right moves to make, but they can tell you’d rather be somewhere else. You would try your best, I know, but it just wouldn’t work very well.”

“And Dean’s different, I guess?” Steve asked, frowning.

“Dean’s crazy about horses, and he doesn’t know enough about them to try an’ get Lady an’ Cisco to be somethin’ they’re not,” Christian said quietly. “You grew up around your momma’s blueblood Arabs and you expect my mustangs to act the same, but it just ain’t gonna happen. Dean doesn’t know that Cisco’s got kinda bad manners, so it doesn’t bother him when Cisco wants a hug and practically runs him over to demand it.”

“What about Lady?” Steve asked.

“He caught Lady his first time in the barn without any help or input from me,” Christian said simply. “I can’t say that about _anybody_ else.”

“That’s ‘cause I had her feed bucket,” Dean said quietly, “and she was hungry ‘cause it was midnight before she got fed.”

Christian looked at Dean. “She _always_ eats late on Fridays, and on a lot of other days too when I’m shootin’ night scenes for _Angel_. The hay rack _was_ empty so her empty belly helped a little, maybe, but she came to you ‘cause she sees the same thing in you that I do.”

Dean stared into Christian’s eyes for a moment before he asked softly, “So what do you see?”

“I see a guy with a heart of gold who loves horses like he loves his car, and has been lonely as hell for a long time,” Christian said gently. “Somebody who follows his heart even though it’s got a habit of gettin’ him hurt because he still has a little shred of faith left that someday that won’t happen and it’ll make all the other times worth it.”

Dean swallowed hard. “I’d ask how you know all that, but I think I know the answer already.”

Christian reached out to cup Dean’s cheek in one hand, and when Dean leaned into the caress he smiled. “I know for the same reason I can usually get my hand on a wild mustang without needing anything but a corral and a little patience. I won’t ever ask you for anythin’ more than you wanna give me, baby, but when you _do_ offer me somethin’ I’m gonna pay attention.”

Dean smiled softly and stepped closer to Christian to slide his arms around him again, murmuring, “Figured it was somethin’ like that.”

Christian grinned. “Knew you were a quick study.” He kissed Dean then and Dean made a soft little noise as he relaxed into Christian’s arms, forgetting everything but how it felt to have Christian holding him and how much he cared about him.

It scared Dean, but not as much as it should have. He was pretty sure that Christian was just as head over heels as he was.

 

~*~

 

Christian suggested that they unload the Impala when he finally pulled away from Dean again, obviously wanting to distract Jensen and Steve from asking more questions, and Jensen was a little surprised that Steve didn’t argue with the idea.

Jensen was soon carrying food over to the patio under the carport where Christian’s Harley was parked while Dean and Christian carried cases of drinks and Steve got a folding table out of the barn.

Jensen walked over to the grill to get a better look after he put down the third cooler, and he was surprised to notice that Christian had a Weber kettle grill behind the big gas grill, and a metal box nearby he had at first thought was some kind of tool storage was actually a big box smoker. “Wow, you’re serious about your barbecue, huh?” he asked, looking over towards where Christian was just putting up the kickstand on his bike to move it out of the way.

Christian glanced over at Jensen, smiling. “Gotta have the right stuff if you wanna eat good, man.” He started rolling the Harley towards the house as he added, “At least, that’s what Stevie tells me.”

“That smoker’s been in my family for years,” Steve added, grinning as he set up the folding table and then moved towards the first cooler Jensen had carried.  “Dad gave it to me when I bought him a bigger one with the money from my first sale.”

“What kind of sale?” Jensen asked curiously, looking at Steve.

“A song, of course,” Steve said with a laugh as he started taking out meat out of the cooler, which was packed so full of meat there hadn’t been room for anything else. There were two huge briskets and half a dozen slabs of ribs in the cooler, but the meat hadn’t been in there long enough to need ice to keep it fresh. Jensen and Steve had stopped on the way to Christian’s place at a nearby farm Steve knew about that sold grass-fed beef, so it had only been in there for about twenty minutes. “Didn’t even end up getting released yet, but I got paid anyway. I got a thousand bucks for it, and if the guy who bought it doesn’t put it on an album in the next three years, it reverts back to me.”

Christian laughed as he rolled his bike off the patio by the end of the trailer so there would be more room under the awning in the shade for them to work. “I’m puttin’ it on the album, damn!”

Jensen laughed, surprised. “You made him _pay_ for one of your songs?”

Steve grinned at Jensen. “Before we got to be buddies, yeah. That’s how we met. He heard me playing in a little dive off Sunset and liked the song so much he wanted me to let him perform it. I told him he could if he bought it and said I'd give him the rights for a thousand bucks because I figured that’d get rid of him, and then a week later he called me up and said he had the cash.” He laughed. “I never thought he’d do it, but there was no way I was turning down that much cash for a song it took me fifteen minutes to write.”

Christian started towards the front steps of the trailer as he added dryly, “An’ the ass has never even _been_ to Carolina.”

Dean laughed and put down the last case of beer, then headed after Christian with one of the cases of A&W as he asked, “Which Carolina?”

“Either, or both,” Christian said, snickering as he paused at the door to the house to wait for Dean.

“It’s poetic license!” Steve said, laughing. “Pasadena just didn’t fit!”

“It’s _lazy_ ,” Christian said with a laugh, then headed into the house with Dean right behind him, snickering.

Jensen looked at Steve, amused. “Why Pasadena?”

“’Cause that’s where I was born, and where I was when I wrote it in the loft of my mom’s stable.” Steve grinned at Jensen and then started walking towards the barn as he asked, “Would you mind going inside to get the stuff for the dry rub for me while I get the fire started in the smoker?”

“Not at all,” Jensen said, starting towards the trailer. “What am I after?”

“Just tell Chris you need the spices for the meat,” Steve replied. “He knows what I use.”

“Okay,” Jensen agreed, walking quickly up the stairs and into the house only to stop just inside the open door to look around in surprise.

Jensen had expected Christian’s home to be like the home of most people he’d met in LA that were doing well for themselves, but instead it looked like it could have been a small-time ranch almost anywhere. The living room furniture was all clean but battered, and the hardwood floors were unfinished and scarred from years of traffic with a large, worn Navajo rug covering the floor in the area surrounded by the couch and chairs. Even the electronics were plain and obviously well-used, and the entertainment center that held them looked like Christian might have built it himself from scrap wood, but it fit right in next to the laptop that made its home on a sturdy old wooden crate.

There was a big poster of James Dean with a horse on the wall to the right of the living room, and the other walls had posters of music groups, horses, and copies of two cowboy paintings that Jensen recognized as being by Remington and Russell. There was also an elaborate dreamcatcher on the wall above the television, and a few pieces of simple metal artwork of horses in various action poses were scattered around the room. An old quilt rack near the couch held two afghans that reminded Jensen of ones his grandmother had owned, which made him wonder where Christian had gotten them as he looked around at the rest of the room.

Shelves lined the walls in several places, and there was a guitar stand in one corner that held a Fender electric guitar, but Jensen barely noticed them before his attention drawn instead to two high-cantled western saddles displayed on sturdy wooden stands near the television. One saddle had a suede seat worn to a smooth dark patina that matched well with the dark burgundy leather of the rest of the saddle, which was covered in intricate rose-patterned tooling that was nearly worn away in some places by years of use. The other saddle was a slick-finished golden tan saddle with a deep seat and fenders that were battle-scarred and worn with quite a few scuffs to the leather from wrecks. Both saddles showed evidence of a recent cleaning, and Jensen got the definite feeling Christian treasured them _because_ of their age, instead of despite it.

The saddles weren’t the only pieces of tack that had made their way into the living room, not by far. As Jensen’s attention wandered again he noticed there were bits and spurs scattered on the shelves around the room, every one unique and obviously old, and between the two saddle racks hung a simple wide leather strap breastcollar and three different bridles that were obviously hand made. Jensen was surprised to see that all three bridles were bitless hackamores with braided white cotton rope reins, though the hackamore nosebands were very different from each other. One hackamore was dark-oiled leather with a bulky black leather bosal on it and reins that looked nearly new, while another was a pale tan leather with a narrow bosal in white rawhide and rope reins that showed more use. The third bridle, which looked to be the oldest of them, was done in dark burgundy leather that matched the rose-tooled saddle with a simple waxed rope noseband that looked almost delicate with rope reins that were more grey than white and showed a lot of use.

Jensen moved further into the house after a moment, walking past the wall separating the kitchen from the living room and then stopping near the breakfast bar to look around again. The kitchen was the exact opposite of the living room, very modern with dark grey marble counters and pale wood cabinets, several well-used butcher-block cutting boards, and a huge farm-style sink with a neat row of planters in the windowsill behind it, all of them filled to overflowing with herbs. There was a large stainless steel Viking stove along the left side towards the living room, flanked on one side by a matching dishwasher and a countertop that wrapped around to become the breakfast bar, and on the other side by a matching double oven.

Beyond the oven was the back door, which was next to a big black refrigerator that looked surprisingly out of place among all the stainless steel appliances, and then there was another marble countertop that held the sink. A pot rack hung from the ceiling over the sink, filled with copper-bottomed stainless steel pans, two iron skillets, and two nonstick pans. The right wall held cabinets and another countertop with several small appliances on it, all in stainless steel except for a black Kitchen Aid mixer that looked like it had seen years of hard use.

Christian and Dean were standing by the breakfast bar, both with coffee cups in hand, and when Jensen finally realized they were watching him with amused looks, he spoke without stopping to think. “You spent more on this kitchen than you did on the rest of the house put together, didn’t you?”

Christian laughed. “Yeah, if you count all the remodeling and the appliances. The trailer was a three-bedroom originally, but after I paid it off some guys I know who do set work knocked out the walls and remodeled the whole thing for me. I had ‘em make the two bedrooms and bathroom on the other end into one big bedroom and bathroom for Stevie, and moved everything towards that end enough to make the master bedroom and bathroom bigger on this end. They ended up makin’ the living room smaller and just about doublin’ the size of the kitchen, which was what I wanted. It was a closet with a sink when I moved in.”

“You did great,” Jensen said, amused. “My mom would kill for a kitchen like this.”

“It does the job,” Christian agreed. “I took some classes when I came out here ‘cause I was tired of tryin’ to cook an’ always messin’ it up somehow, and then once I knew what I was doin’ I got a kick out of it. I wanted a big kitchen, but this old trailer’s plenty big enough for me an’ Stevie, so I had what’s here redone into somethin’ I’d enjoy playin’ in. I usually cook a big spread about once a week, and I cook for myself most every day, so it gets plenty of use even with me workin’.”

“What’d you need anyway, Jen?” Dean asked then, sipping at his coffee as he waited for Jensen to answer.

“Steve wanted me to get the stuff that goes on the meat,” Jensen replied. “He’s probably wondering if I got lost, I kind of got distracted by the house when I came in.”

Dean grinned at Jensen, hazel eyes amused and sparkling. “Not what you expected, huh?”

Jensen laughed. “Not quite, no. Christian’s doing pretty good for himself on _Angel_ , but he’s sure not spending it on his living room. He could get nicer furniture at a garage sale.”

Dean let out a little laugh. “Damn, Jen. Be nice!”

Christian chuckled and moved to the counter on the right side of the room. “Just about everybody reacts that way, babe.” He reached up into one of the cabinets to take down a stack of foil pans, then opened a lower cabinet and pulled out a sliding rack of spices. He started putting jars and small bags in the stacked pans as he added, “Folks hear I was in some movies and on a few TV shows, an’ they expect me to have the usual fancy LA bachelor pad, not a comfy little place in the desert with a trailer older than I am an’ furniture I either got from a thrift store or made myself.”

“There’s no reason to waste your money on all that fancy shit,” Dean said with a soft laugh.

Jensen had to smile wryly as it finally dawned on him that the way Christian had furnished his home was just one more way he and Dean were alike. Dean had never said anything about not liking the way Jensen had decorated the house they shared, but Jensen was suddenly sure that was part of the reason Dean could be so often found sprawling in the chair in his room with a book and his mp3 player. Dean’s room was very plain compared to the rest of the house, with a simple oak bedroom set Dean had bought from a thrift store, a worn but very comfortable old leather chair that a neighbor had put on the curb as trash, dark green drapes that vaguely matched the old USMC-stamped wool blanket on the bed, and no decoration at all unless you counted the shelves of books located between the chair and the bed. The most luxurious things in Dean’s room were the pillow-top mattress on the bed, which Dean had bought new because he couldn’t find a used one soft enough to suit him, and the soft cotton jersey sheets that Dean said beat silk any day.

Christian took a large jar of brown sugar out of the bottom of the spice rack and then looked at Dean, grinning. “ _I_ know that baby, and _you_ know that, but we’re not like most folks out here. They want to have fancy ‘cause they can, not settle for comfortable.”

“Comfortable is a hell of a lot more my speed,” Dean said, amused. “All that high-dollar crap just makes me feel like I oughta leave before I screw up an’ break somethin’.”

“Same here,” Christian said with a snicker, closing the spice cabinet and then picking up the trays laden with spices to carry them over to the fridge. He opened it and started taking out several bottles that were in the bottom of the door as he went on. “I’ve seen fancy, even tried it for a little while when I first got the part on _Fame_ , but it just ain’t me. I don’t need my house to tell folks how much money I make. I’d rather spend it on my horses, my family, good food, and havin’ fun.”

“Amen,” Dean agreed, looking pleased as he sipped at his coffee again.

Jensen just watched Christian close the fridge and walk over to the bar with the trays before he finally said with a wry smile, “You two really _are_ made for each other.”

Christian grinned at Jensen, pushing the stacked trays with their load of spices and bottles across the breakfast bar to him. “You have no idea, Jen. If I was special orderin’ somebody, I couldn’t have come up with anyone near so perfect as Dean.”

“Same here, babe,” Dean murmured, smiling at Christian. “I didn’t know what I was lookin’ for until after I found it.”

Jensen watched them smile at each other for a moment, taking in Christian’s warm gentle expression and the soft look in Dean’s sparkling hazel eyes. He had never seen Dean look so relaxed and even _delighted_ , and it only took him a few moments to realize that he’d do just about anything to be sure Dean stayed that way.

Dean was like a brother to Jensen, but it didn’t really have anything to do with the fact they looked so much alike, despite what they often told people. Jensen cared so much about Dean because Dean was a great guy who _deserved_ all the best in the world but gladly settled for much less if it made the people he loved happy. Dean would willingly make himself miserable to please the very few people he cared deeply about, and Jensen knew that he had been on that short list pretty much since they met. Dean had decided that he was Jensen’s big brother, and since he joined Jensen in LA he had been keeping an eye out for him and going with him anywhere he thought Jensen might get in over his head, watching his back without ever making Jensen feel like Dean was crowding him.

Jensen knew he could never do enough to thank Dean for all the times Dean’s level-headed calm had saved him from himself, but he could try, which was why he had been so pushy about making Dean go meet Christian the night before. He wanted Dean to be happy, wanted him to find someone who could make the pain and regret he knew Dean still felt whenever he thought of Puck go away, and he was starting to think that Dean finally had found the right man. In less than twenty-four hours Christian had quietly pulled Dean into his arms and his home, and Jensen was very sure that Dean loved him for it, whether Dean had realized that yet or not. He had never seen Dean look at anyone but Sam the way Dean was looking at Christian, and Dean loved Sam more than anything except maybe his car.

“I’m really glad you two met,” Jensen said after a few minutes, smiling at the way Dean and Christian both blinked and looked at him. “You can count on me to be on your side if anybody gives you crap about moving so fast.”

Dean looked pleased, glancing at Christian and then back at Jensen as he asked, “You still gonna say that after I tell you I’m probably gonna be movin’ in with him Monday?”

“Yeah,” Jensen said, surprised but smiling even though paying the rent on their house alone wouldn’t be easy. He’d have to start going to open calls whether he wanted the part or not again, but for Dean he didn’t mind. He’d never admit it out loud unless he was teasing Dean, but he loved Dean more than a little and he wanted him to be happy. If Christian made him happy, then Jensen would do anything he had to do to be sure they stayed together. “I’ll help you pack.”

Dean’s smile softened and he said quietly, “Thanks, Jen.”

Jensen smiled and reached over to put his hand on Dean’s shoulder for a moment as he said, “That’s what family is for, Dean.” He picked up the tray and headed back towards the front door with it as he added, “You two can go back to enjoying your coffee, I’m gonna go help Steve with the meat.”

“We’ll be out as soon as I get the dishes done,” Christian said, and when Jensen glanced back he saw that Christian looked pretty happy, just like Dean.

“As soon as _we_ get the dishes done,” Dean corrected, walking around the bar towards the sink as he drained his coffee mug.

Christian grinned. “We, then. I’ll wash an’ you dry.”

“Deal,” Dean agreed, looking pleased.

Jensen grinned and looked back towards the front door, walking a little more quickly as he said, “Better you than me.” They both laughed but didn’t say anything in reply, and then a moment later Jensen was outside and walking down the front steps towards the patio, where Steve was drinking a beer and waiting patiently.

 

~*~

 

Christian glanced at Dean as he began to wash the last skillet, watching Dean dry off the smaller nonstick pan as he murmured, “Jensen’s a good guy.”

Dean looked at Christian quickly with a warm smile. “Yeah, he is. Best friend I’ve ever had, except one.”

“ _The_ guy?” Christian asked quietly, curious. “The one you dated in high school?”

“Yeah,” Dean agreed, nodding as he looked up to hang the nonstick skillet on the empty hook next to the other two that were similar to it. He moved to lean against the counter then, looking out the window over the sink as he went on. “Right at the end of junior year. We moved around a lot when I was a kid so I didn’t know him long, but that didn’t matter. Puck an’ me, we were just about as close as I ever was to anyone, even Sammy. He was my best friend before I knew it, and it didn’t take him long after that to become a lot more.”

“Sounds kind of familiar,” Christian murmured, trying not to read too much into the similarities as he started to rinse off the iron skillet.

“Yeah, I’ve been havin’ some déjà vu last night and today, for sure,” Dean admitted, still not looking at Christian. “I had been pretty lonely for a long time when I met him, an’ we just kind of got each other right off the bat. I had been sellin’ my ass when I had to for a few years by then, but I didn’t date guys and I had never admitted to anyone I was bi until I came out to him an’ his three closest friends.”

Dean fell silent for a moment, and Christian just watched and waited as he reached for the towel to dry off the iron skillet, trying not to think about the fact Dean had been hooking for _years_ by the time he was a junior in high school. It hurt to think that Dean had been forced into something like that so young, but it explained a few things about Dean, too. He had gotten the feeling Dean had a toughness down deep that matched his own, and knowing Dean had been on the street so young with a baby brother to care for explained that. Christian’s own childhood in Odessa had often been dangerous enough he had to learn to fight or stay home and hide behind his momma, and he had never regretted choosing to fight.

Dean still hadn’t said anything else by the time Christian was done with the skillet, so he moved to the spice cabinet to get out the canola oil as he asked, “Did one of them ask?”

Dean turned away from the window to watch as Christian poured a little oil into the skillet and then rubbed it into the metal with his fingertips. “They didn’t have to. The day we met, we ended up at a guy named Kurt’s house after school with their best friend, a gorgeous little blonde cheerleader named Quinn. Quinn was tired an’ she decided to take a nap while we were waitin’ for some other people who were supposed to come by, so Kurt suggested that Puck teach me to play guitar ‘cause I had said something earlier that day about wanting to learn.” He smiled softly. “The class we were all in together was Glee. I was so pissed when the guidance counselor stuck me in there with them, but I ended up lovin’ it. Most fun I ever had at school without breakin’ any rules.”

Christian chuckled and Dean gave him a slightly wider smile, but the smile faded away again as Dean went on. “I don’t really remember exactly how it happened ‘cause I wasn’t really payin’ attention, but Puck ended up behind me on the couch with his arms around me an’ his chin on my shoulder while he showed me how to finger a chord the right way. Kurt’s gay and he had been out for a long time by then, and I realized how it looked ‘cause I caught him starin’ at us. He wasn’t really makin’ any effort to hide the fact he was enjoyin’ watching us, but I kinda liked havin’ Puck so close, an’ I liked him a lot, so I didn’t really do anything about it. Puck didn’t notice that he was kind of all over me until one of their friends walked in and said something that kind of freaked Puck out.”

Dean gave Christian a wry, crooked little smile. “Puck had been crushin’ on Kurt for a long time by then, but he hadn’t ever admitted he might be bi to anyone but Quinn, and he got pretty pissed when the other girl said something about him bein’ into guys. He was defensive an’ panicking more than a little about it, which made Kurt tell him he was bein’ stupid ‘cause he wasn’t the only one in the room that was bi. I thought Kurt was talkin’ about me, and my reaction kinda said all there was to say.”

“So you came out by accident?” Christian asked, amused as he moved back over to the sink to hang up the skillet and then lean against the counter by Dean, wiping his oily fingertips on a towel.

“Pretty much,” Dean agreed. “Once they knew, there didn’t seem to be any reason to deny it, especially after Quinn said she was bi too. Puck was obviously bi even though he said he couldn’t understand how a guy like me could possibly be into guys, but Quinn an’ Mercedes got a kick out of it and had all kinds of nosy questions about what I liked and stuff like that.” He snorted, amused. “They made Kurt curious as hell and he asked me to stick around after the others left, which pissed Puck off enough that he made it blindingly obvious that he thought of Kurt as bein’ his. I wasn’t about to step on Puck’s toes with the kid, and after I said as much, Puck and the girls left. Me an’ Kurt talked for a little bit after that, mostly about Puck, and then I headed home. Puck called Kurt later that night an’ asked Kurt to meet him before school the next day, and by the time I got to Glee second period, they were an item.”

Christian blinked as he put the towel down, confused as he asked softly, “I thought you an’ Puck ended up together?”

“We did,” Dean said, looking a little ashamed. “See, Puck an’ Kurt are in love, and have been since long before I pulled into the little hick town in Ohio where they live, but everything was still real new for them then, and Kurt had read some horror stories online so he was kinda scared of the idea of havin’ sex. Puck was used to gettin’ laid anytime he wanted an’ Kurt knew it, but Puck had never been with a guy either and he didn’t want his first time to be with Kurt ‘cause he was afraid maybe Kurt was right an’ he’d hurt him. Quinn stuck her nose in an’ got them talking about it in front of me one night a few days later, hopin’ that me telling them how much I like sex with a guy would help, but instead Puck ended up suggesting to Kurt that he could just have sex with me so he could find out what to do and exactly what it was like. Quinn jumped at that, mostly ‘cause she hoped Puck would tell her all about it, I think, and I agreed ‘cause I liked Puck a lot and wanted to help. It was supposed to just be a little sex between friends that didn’t mean anything.”

“But it meant somethin’ to you,” Christian finished for him quietly, reaching out to touch one of Dean’s hands with his own.

Dean nodded, taking Christian’s hand to hold it a little tighter than Christian had expected. “And to Puck. If we hadn’t ever done it again after that first night it probably would’ve ended up a lot easier on both of us, but Kurt was still kinda worried about sex and didn’t want Puck doin’ without because of his hang-ups. He kept encouragin’ me and Puck to fool around, and we started gettin’ deeper an’ deeper into territory I never should’ve let us head into. I finally tried offerin’ to let Kurt watch us have sex, thinkin’ that would fix things for them and then I’d walk away while I still could, but it didn’t work out that way.”

“What happened?” Christian asked softly.

“I ended up fuckin’ both of them,” Dean admitted, looking ashamed as he stared down at their linked hands. “Well, they were the ones doin’ all the fuckin’, but yeah. We all got in over our heads after that, even though we knew I wouldn’t be able to stick around town long ‘cause Dad’s job there was short-term. Me an’ Kurt got pretty attached too, but it wasn’t anything like how I felt about Puck and he knew it, so he did all he could to make sure I had time with Puck while I could. It damn near killed me when I had to leave the day school got out that year, and they spent a lot of time that summer callin’ and sendin’ emails beggin’ me to come back. It finally sank in that I wasn’t ever gonna do it, an’ they stopped askin’ me to.”

“Why not?” Christian murmured, stroking the back of Dean’s knuckles with his thumb. “Seems to me you could’ve been pretty happy with ‘em if you three loved each other that much.”

“They loved me, but not like they love each other.” Dean lifted his gaze to meet Christian’s then, and the pain in his eyes made Christian want to hold him as Dean went on very quietly. “It was never a problem while we were together, but it would've been if I stayed. I loved Puck more than was even a little smart, and sooner or later it would’ve started to hurt every time I saw proof that he loved Kurt a lot more.” He gave Christian a crooked, sad little smile. “Besides, I hurt Puck pretty bad when I had to leave, and it never was the same talkin’ to him after that. He still loved me, but it was different and it didn’t take long for it to start hurtin’ more to talk to him than it did to be alone.” He looked down again, flushing as he admitted, “And then I kind of got drunk one night a while back when it all got to be too much for me. It… was a really bad night, an’ I got too damned close to doin’ something stupid, but I finally scraped a few braincells together and smashed my laptop an’ my cell instead. I haven’t talked to ‘em since.” He paused and then added softly, “They probably think I’m dead by now. They know I’ve got a bad habit of hustlin’ pool and wanderin’ into fights that get ugly fast.”

“You should call Puck,” Christian said gently, making Dean look up at him. “At least let him know you’re alive.”

Dean looked down and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “It’s better this way. I can’t take hearin’ his voice anymore, and I know from things Kurt has said that talkin’ to me’s just as hard on him. It’s better if they just forget me.”

Christian pulled Dean towards him, making Dean look at him again in surprise as Christian let go of Dean’s hand and put his arms around him, murmuring, “I know if I was him, I’d want to know you’re safe.”

“They’ll be fine,” Dean said quietly, hesitating a moment before he put his arms around Christian to return the embrace as he looked down again. “They’ve got each other and their little girl, and they’re happy with their lives. They don’t need me callin’ and bringing up painful memories.”

Christian lifted one hand to Dean’s jaw to tip Dean’s chin up so Dean would look at him, surprised as he asked softly, “They adopted a little girl?”

Dean shook his head slightly, leaning into Christian’s touch. “Quinn an’ Puck got drunk together about eight months before I met ’em, and she had his baby while I was there.” His lips curved into a tiny smile at the memory, adding, “I'm her godfather. Her name’s Beth, and she’s the prettiest little girl you ever saw, all big brown eyes an’ dark curls with the kinda smile that’s gonna break hearts someday. I got a picture of me holdin’ her the day she was born, and one in my wallet of her last year when Quinn bought her a pony.”

“And she lives with Puck an’ Kurt?” Christian asked, surprised.

Dean nodded. “Quinn never wanted to be a momma, she had plans that didn’t include raisin’ a baby at sixteen, no matter how much she loves Bethy. Puck wanted Beth more than anything except maybe Kurt ‘cause he figured that he probably wouldn’t get another chance at havin’ kids, so Quinn gave Beth to them when she was born.”

“What did she want that was more important than her own child?” Christian asked, trying to understand even though it made him think a lot less of Quinn to know she could do something like that. He had always wanted a house full of kids, and he couldn’t imagine ever giving one up.

“Quinn and her girlfriends were on a National champion cheerleading squad,” Dean explained quietly, “and that’s what they want to do with their lives, at least for now. They’re Laker girls now, or were last time I saw a game, an’ they don’t have time to raise Beth, not like Puck does. He works at the family garage an’ takes Beth with him whenever she isn’t in school, lettin’ her play and watch while he an’ Kurt’s dad work on cars, and Quinn visits whenever she has the time. Kurt’s dad loves Bethy to death and spoils her even worse than her parents do, so she’s a happy little girl, even if she doesn’t have the most traditional family.”

“And Kurt?” Christian asked quietly.

“He was still in college last I talked to him, but he’s done by now.” Dean paused and then went on, “He an’ Puck planned to move with Bethy to New York after that, so that’s likely where they are. They’re both big into music and Kurt’s been in some musicals that got great reviews, so he wants to try for Broadway.”

Christian was quiet for a long moment, just holding Dean and thinking about that. It sounded like he and Puck had a lot in common, which worried him. He wanted Dean to be falling for him the same way he was falling for Dean, and it hurt to think that the memory of another guy could possibly be why Dean was with him. He finally pulled away, taking a step back from Dean as he asked very quietly, “Is that why you’re with me?”

Dean blinked and looked confused. “Because they’re in New York?”

“Because I remind you so much of Puck,” Christian said quietly, serious and trying hard not to let Dean see how unhappy he felt.

“You don’t look or act anything like him,” Dean said quietly, meeting Christian’s gaze with a confused frown. “He’s into music, sure, an’ I liked him the first time I saw him, but he’s _nothin’_ like you, Christian.”

“You’ve _said_ that I remind you of him,” Christian pointed out, feeling terrible because of the sudden fear he saw in Dean’s expressive eyes but not trying to soften his words because he had to know.

“No, I said bein’ with you reminds me of how I _felt_ with him,” Dean corrected, obviously upset. “That’s a whole different kettle of fish.”

Christian’s eyes widened and he stared into Dean’s worried eyes as he asked softly, “Are you tryin’ to tell me you’re fallin’ in love with me?”

“I said as much earlier,” Dean said quietly. “I never felt like this but once in my life, that’s true, an’ it _was_ him that made me want to hold on tight and never let go back then, but I promise you I’m not with you and wishin’ you were him. I knew him for a couple weeks before I started feelin’ anything like the way I feel about you right now.” He swallowed hard. “It scares the shit out of me, but I’m tryin’ really hard to be honest about _everything_ with you, even though I got a feelin’ we’d both be happier if I was smart enough to lie.”

“Have you been honest with me about everything?” Christian murmured, hating that his question put a fresh flare of pain and fear in Dean’s eyes but needing to know.

“Everything important,” Dean replied after a few moments, barely above a whisper. “Jensen lied to Steve, and I let him pass it along to you as fact.”

Christian tried to brace himself for the worst. Every instinct was telling him to pull Dean close and just forget the questions tumbling around in his head, but he couldn’t do it. He had blindly trusted his feelings for someone just once, and it had ended badly when he found out Michelle had been screwing around on him practically the whole time he was with her. He didn’t want to get that attached to anyone ever again unless he was sure he could trust them, and hearing that Dean had let Jensen lie to them about him made him wonder what they were hiding. “About?”

“Jen’s not my cousin, or if he is I don’t know it,” Dean admitted, and Christian hated himself a little more for the dull pain in Dean’s eyes. “I ran into him at a party one night in Texas, an’ when some shit went down I kinda saved his life. We look so damned much alike that I kept in touch with him after that, kinda wonderin’ how my life coulda been if things were different. I had made a promise to Sam that I’d try to quit … the family business when he went into college, so when he started the winter semester back in January, I decided to visit Jen an’ see how he was doin’. He suggested I move in with him ‘cause I had nowhere else to go and he was havin’ a hard time payin’ rent on his own, and I liked the idea enough to give it a try for a while at least. I been livin’ with him ever since.”

“What’s the family business, Dean?” Christian asked quietly, sure that it was something bad. That wasn’t the first time Dean had avoided saying whatever it was, and it had finally dawned on him Dean would have just _said_ what it was instead of skirting around it if it wasn’t something he was sure Christian wouldn’t like.

Dean closed his eyes, and Christian could see him trembling as he whispered, “Please don’t ask me that, Christian. If I tell you, you’ll never believe me, an’ if I don’t, you’re gonna want me gone anyway.”

Christian just looked at Dean, waiting for Dean to open his eyes again, but Dean didn’t so Christian finally said quietly, “Look at me, baby.” Dean’s eyes opened, pain and fear mingled with surprise in them, and Christian said gently, “I _will_ believe you, if you tell me the _truth_.”

Dean stared into Christian’s eyes for a moment and then shuddered and took a deep breath, obviously gathering his courage before he said very quietly, “My dad is a hunter, and he raised me an’ Sam to be the same. He travels all over, saving people and hunting things.”

“Things?” Christian repeated, lifting one hand to Dean’s jaw.

Dean swallowed hard, leaning into Christian’s touch and still trembling a little as he murmured, “Supernatural things. Evil spirits, ghosts, werewolves, even people sometimes if they’re messin’ with stuff normal folks can’t handle. Anything that kills people but isn’t somethin’ the cops can take care of, Dad goes after it.” He paused and then looked kind of ashamed as he added even more quietly, “That’s why I started sellin’ my ass. Dad was always off on a hunt somewhere when I was a kid, and he’d leave me to take care of Sammy because it was too dangerous for us to go along. There was never enough money so I started sneakin’ out after Sam was asleep to find a corner that rentboys used to pick up tricks, and after talkin’ to a few of them I started doin’ it too. I was fourteen an’ pretty enough I didn’t have to sell my ass often to be able to feed me an’ Sammy, and I liked it most of the time so it was better than stealin’ or gettin’ a job an’ havin’ to leave Sam alone all the time.”

Christian was quiet for a minute, just looking into Dean’s eyes and wishing he had the brains to listen to his instincts a little more often instead of screwing things up by thinking. He hadn’t wanted to know how old Dean was when he started selling himself to get by, and thinking about it made him feel equal parts angry and sad. He wanted to beat the shit out of Dean’s dad even though he hadn’t met the man yet, and he had the strong feeling that learning more would just make it worse.

Dean was still looking scared and his eyes were full of pain and shame, and Christian finally forced himself to say something. He avoided the subject of Dean selling himself because he didn’t want Dean to think the anger he felt at the idea was directed at Dean, instead saying very softly, “I think if you wanted to lie to me you could come up with somethin’ a lot easier for me to believe than huntin’ things that go bump in the night. That means no matter _how_ crazy it seems to believe in ghosts an’ werewolves, I gotta think you’re tellin’ me the truth.”

Dean closed his eyes and took a slow shuddering breath, obviously trying to get control of himself, and then after a minute or two he finally looked at Christian again as he said simply, “Thank you.”

Christian reached for Dean and pulled him close, hating that he had been the one to put the sheen of unshed tears in Dean’s eyes as he murmured, “I’m sorry, baby.”

 

 

~*~

 

Dean willingly moved closer to Christian as he blinked, a little confused even though he was feeling kind of weak with relief. He could barely comprehend that Christian not only didn’t look down on him because he had been a rentboy, but also actually _believed_ him about hunting and accepted that what he said was the simple truth. He had never really thought he would find anyone he could tell his secrets to, barely even dared to hope for it, and knowing that Christian was that guy was more than a little overwhelming.

The fact that Christian wasn’t telling Dean to get out, wasn’t calling him a liar or worse, had Dean very close to falling apart after the fear and uncertainty of the last few minutes. He knew Christian could see how close he was to tears but he tried hard not to let it show in his voice, and he was proud of how normal he sounded as he asked, “For what?”

“For makin’ you tell me,” Christian murmured, his blue eyes gentle and sad as he gazed into Dean’s eyes. “I should’ve trusted you when you asked me not to.”

“If this thing between us is gonna last like I want it to, there can’t be any lies,” Dean said softly, making a sudden decision. He was sure Christian wouldn’t think worse of him for needing held, so he stopped fighting himself and moved closer to Christian to hide his face against Christian’s neck near his ear as he just held on to him and closed his eyes. “If you ask me somethin’ then you need to know,” he whispered then, “no matter how much it hurts to tell you.”

Christian nuzzled Dean’s hair, his arms tightening around Dean to hold him close as he said quietly, “All the same, I won’t be doin’ it again, baby. You tell me what you want me to know, and I’ll try hard not to ask for more than that. I trust you, and I care too much about you to keep hurtin’ you just ‘cause I’m curious.”

Dean kissed Christian’s neck just below his ear and then murmured, “You needed to know.”

“Uh, guys?” Dean pulled away enough to look towards the sound of Steve’s voice, flushing as he caught a glimpse of Steve’s face and then looking down as he pulled further away from Christian. “Is there something wrong?” Steve asked, sounding concerned and a little wary.

Christian seemed to be ignoring Steve as he lifted one hand to the back of Dean’s neck to pull Dean closer again, kissing him tenderly before he whispered so quietly that Dean could barely hear him, “I need to keep from hurtin’ you, too. I hate seein’ pain in your eyes an’ knowin’ I put it there.” He kissed Dean again, gentle and sweet, and then he pulled away to turn and look at Steve as he stepped in front of Dean. “Nothin’ you need to worry about, Stevie. Me an’ Dean just got to talkin’ an’ I asked somethin’ that brought up painful memories for him.”

Dean was grateful for Christian blocking Steve’s view of him as he lifted one hand to rub at his face. His cheeks were dry, but it had been a very near thing and he was sure Steve could tell. Dean didn’t get upset enough to cry often, mostly because there was very little that was important enough to him to cry over, but when he did he had never really been able to hide it. It was a curse to have eyes that were so expressive, especially when he was upset by something.

“If you say so, Chris,” Steve said slowly, sounding skeptical.

“I do,” Christian said firmly. “What’d you need?”

“I was about to start putting the rub on the ribs,” Steve replied, “but I need the foil to wrap them with afterwards.”

“Why didn’t you send Jen?” Dean asked, making himself turn back towards Steve even though he stayed a little behind Christian. “He can’t cook, but he’s good at choppin’ stuff or playin’ gofer.”

Steve gave Dean a searching look and then seemed to accept something, moving into the kitchen as he said, “He’s been pulling the silver skin off the back of the ribs for me while I got the briskets rubbed and in the smoker, so I decided I’d get it.”

“And you wanted to see what we were doing,” Christian added just a little pointedly.

Steve looked a little sheepish. “Well yeah, maybe. You _did_ tell Jensen you’d be out soon, and it’s been a while. I wondered what distracted you.”

“Talking to my new roommate,” Christian said, moving towards the fridge.

“Roommate?” Steve repeated, stopping and staring at Christian.

Christian took an A&W out of the fridge and then turned to face Steve as he opened it. “Yeah, roommate. Dean doesn’t like the city an’ I kinda like havin’ him around, so he’s gonna be movin’ in with me.”

“So, what, you want me to move out?” Steve asked, frowning and looking hurt as he watched Christian take a drink of the root beer. “Just like that?”

“I didn’t say that, Stevie, an’ I never would,” Christian said, obviously surprised. “Dean’s gonna be in my bed with me, not takin’ yours. You hardly ever use it, but I sure as hell wouldn’t take it away from you. This is as much your home as it is mine.”

Steve blinked and then looked sheepish. “I should have known that.”

“Yeah, you should,” Christian agreed, holding his drink out to Dean, who accepted it to take a slow drink. “We’re gonna head on out to the barn now, unless you need our help with something.”

“Me and Jensen have it covered,” Steve said quickly, smiling at Christian just a bit sheepishly. “Go play with your ponies, man. It won’t be time to start anything else for a couple of hours.”

Dean offered the A&W back to Christian, who took it as he nodded and said, “That’s what I figured, so we’ve got plenty of time to go for a ride. I thought we’d go up an’ get Wyatt.”

Steve nodded, turning towards the cabinets to open one as he bent down to look inside. “Have fun.”

“We will,” Christian said, holding the A&W in one hand as he reached for Dean with the other hand. Christian put his hand at the small of Dean’s back as he gave Dean a gentle smile and a little push to start him moving towards the front door, and Dean returned the smile as he walked past Steve. “Dean’s got his cell, if you need us.”

“We won’t,” Steve said with a laugh.

Dean smiled as he walked quickly to the front door and walked outside, glad that Christian was right behind him. He was definitely ready to go do something besides talking, even though he was kind of glad that there weren’t any verbal traps waiting for him anymore. Christian already knew the bad and the crazy in his past, and nothing else that might come up in a conversation between them could be as painful as what Dean had already told him.

Dean didn’t have many more secrets, and the only one that Christian wouldn’t like was something that would never come up in a conversation, so Dean didn’t spare a thought for it at all.

 

~*~

 

Jensen glanced up when he heard two sets of boots on the front steps to the trailer, smiling when he saw Dean and Christian.

Dean paused at the bottom of the steps to look back and wait for Christian so they could walk across the yard side by side, murmuring quietly about something Jensen couldn’t hear. Dean was smiling even though something about his eyes made Jensen think Dean hadn’t been smiling long, which made his own smile fade as he wondered what they had done after they did the dishes. It had been a while since they started them, Jensen knew, and there hadn’t been many in the sink that needed washed.

Jensen looked back down to finish peeling the tough silver skin off the back of the rack of ribs he was working on, listening intently as Christian and Dean got closer to him on their way to the barn. He was hoping to hear what they were talking about, but he didn’t want to make them feel like he was keeping an eye on them so he didn’t look up again.

Christian and Dean were getting pretty close before Jensen could finally hear them because they were both making an effort to be quiet, and it was all he could do to keep from looking at them in surprise when he heard what Dean was saying.

“—got a lot of family in Texas, but I haven’t really got anyone besides Sam, Bobby, and Dad. Bobby was in ‘Nam with Dad and is more like a dad to us than Dad is a lot of the time, but he’s in South Dakota so I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like. Sammy, he’s at Stanford, and Dad’s in New England, or was headed that way last I talked to Bobby.”

“Not to your dad?” Christian asked softly, offering Dean the can of root beer they were sharing.

Dean took a drink and then murmured, “No, ever since Dad figured out I’m into guys he an’ I don’t talk much unless he wants me to help with something. Last time I heard from him it was a werewolf pack in Colorado last winter, a few weeks before Sam started school. Dad insisted he needed us both to help him track ‘em down because one of them killed a couple of teenaged girls, so we dropped everything and drove to Denver to meet him.”

Dean and Christian were still moving as they talked, and before Christian replied they had already moved far enough away that Jensen couldn’t quite hear them anymore. A few moments later Christian was opening the gate to the barn and then they disappeared inside, and Jensen was left alone wondering why Dean had felt the need to tell Christian about hunting. He obviously had because Christian hadn’t batted an eye at the mention of werewolves, which amazed Jensen.

It had taken Dean a couple of _months_ of living with Jensen before Dean told him the truth about what John had raised his boys to do, even though Dean had saved Jensen’s life a few years back in Texas when a vampire was stalking students on his college campus. Jensen had seen Dean kill the vampire within minutes of her trying to drain Jensen, but Dean had pretended to be as freaked as Jensen was about it, so Jensen had believed Dean’s story that he never saw a _real_ vampire before.

The fact Dean had told Christian the truth after knowing him less than twenty-four hours seemed more than a little crazy to Jensen, but once he started seriously thinking about it he realized he shouldn’t be surprised. Dean had made it plain he wanted to build a lasting relationship with Christian, and if he was going to do that, Jensen knew Dean would tell him everything sooner or later. Dean wouldn’t share much at all with a stranger, but there wasn’t anything he refused to tell if Jensen asked, and Jensen was just a good friend. If Dean really was falling in love with Christian, then Dean would want Christian to know everything before Dean was too far in to recover if Christian couldn’t accept it all.

It made a kind of twisted sense to Jensen that Dean would start with the worst things. If Christian could stand hearing about hunting, then Dean would feel a lot safer to share other things that he had done or had happened to him. Jensen was suddenly sure Dean had already told Christian about Puck, too, and probably even some things Jensen didn’t know about. Jensen had learned a long time ago not to ask if Dean got really quiet about something, so he knew there was a lot that Dean hadn’t told him. Dean had some pretty painful shit in his past, most of it things that could be laid squarely at John’s feet, and Jensen didn’t like making him talk about any of it. Dean always tried to act like it didn’t matter, but Jensen could see that it really did.

Jensen was wiping his hands on a paper towel as Steve walked back out of the trailer, and he smiled as he looked up at the sound of the door closing. “Great timing, I just finished the last one.”

“I try,” Steve said as he quickly crossed the yard with the foil and two beers, pleased. “Got us a couple cold beers while I was at it.”

“Hot damn,” Jensen said, grinning as he moved to take one of the beers.

 

~*~

 

Christian walked into the barn with Dean as he finished off the root beer, smiling at Dean as he moved towards the feed room. “After I catch Lady, I’ll take her over to the porch to brush her out before you get on. It’ll be a hell of a lot easier to step on her off the stairs than tryin’ to jump on bareback.”

Dean blinked, looking surprised as he closed the barn gate. “I don’t get to use a saddle?”

Christian grinned. “You’ll be a lot better rider if you ride bareback first. Once you can stay on bareback, a saddle will be easy.”

Dean snickered and muttered, “Well, at least she’s short, so it’s not far to fall.”

Christian laughed and went into the feed room, dropping the empty can in the trash and then getting a few handfuls of oats in a bucket. He grabbed Lady’s halter and leadrope before he left the feed room and started walking slowly towards the back of the barn. Dean moved to walk with him, and Christian gave him a smile as he said, “I thought about letting you catch her, but she likely wouldn’t let you near her once she saw the halter. Sometimes she won’t even let me near her when I got one.”

Dean snorted, amused. “That’s okay, you can catch her. I don’t mind at all. I’ll just pet Cisco, if he’ll come to me.”

“He’ll come if you whistle,” Christian said, pleased.

Dean brightened, grinning as he stopped walking. “Really?”

Christian nodded as he stopped with Dean, amused by how much Dean liked that idea, and then Dean let out a piercing whistle. Cisco answered immediately with a neigh from well off down the pasture, and Dean let out a delighted laugh. “God, I love that.”

“It’s always nice, for sure.” Christian grinned as he made out the faint sound of two sets of galloping hooves headed towards the barn, and then he added, “Sounds like his momma’s coming too. She must be in a good mood today.”

Dean grinned. “And when she’s in a bad mood?”

“We’d end up takin’ your baby to a friend down the road an’ borrowin’ both his horses,” Christian said with a soft laugh as the sound of hooves got louder. “When Lady’s got a bug up her ass, even I can’t catch her an’ she knows it.”

Cisco rounded the side of the barn then, nickering happily when he saw them and slowing to a prancing trot as he turned into the barn aisle.

“C’mere, Cisco,” Dean said as he moved to meet the colt, grinning from ear to ear. Christian was feeling pretty smug as he watched Cisco prance right up to Dean and then stop, nuzzling the side of Dean’s face with a low whuffling sound that wasn’t quite a nicker. “Hello, fellah,” Dean murmured, sounding happy as he lifted one hand to stroke Cisco’s cheek and kissed the colt’s muzzle lightly. Cisco nuzzled at Dean’s face for a moment longer and then stepped even closer, laying his head on Dean’s shoulder, and Dean didn’t hesitate to lean against him, wrapping one arm around Cisco’s neck as he started to stroke the colt’s shoulder with his free hand.

Seeing Dean and Cisco together made Christian feel as if his heart might burst, he was feeling so much love for them both. It scared him a little, but as he watched them the fear slowly slipped away. Dean still had secrets he was sure, and he’d had a rough life, but Christian couldn’t help loving him anyway. Dean was obviously trying very hard to let Christian in, and he was sure he knew why. Dean was just as head-over-heels as Christian was, and wanted to make a relationship between them work so badly he would do anything he had to in order to make sure it did.

Lady moved past Cisco and Dean then, walking up to Christian to reach for the bucket he was holding, and he made himself stop watching Dean to pay attention to the mare. He let her put her head in the bucket, laying the lead rope over her neck to grab both ends and hold her, and when she had a good mouthful he set the bucket down to halter her. Lady laid her ears back and looked a little annoyed but she didn’t argue, so the moment her halter was tied securely Christian reached for her bucket again to let her eat the rest of the feed.

Christian’s gaze strayed back to Dean and Cisco then, and he smiled softly when he saw Dean had turned to rest his forehead against Cisco’s neck, stroking Cisco’s sleek hide while Cisco just stood there soaking up the attention. The colt obviously liked Dean a lot, and it made Christian feel more certain about following his instincts with Dean instead of listening to that nagging little voice that had gotten him to hurt Dean with so many questions. The more he thought about it, the more he realized Dean’s past didn’t really matter to him. He didn’t really care anymore what had happened to Dean to make him into the man he was, all that mattered was that he was falling in love with Dean fast enough it would scare him shitless if he wasn’t so sure that Dean was feeling the same way.

Lady finished the feed in her bucket and tried to pull away from Christian, who stopped her by giving the leadrope a little jerk to make her look back towards him. “Aht, none of that, Lady. You’re caught, an’ you’re fixin’ to earn your keep.”

Lady looked kind of unhappy as she heaved a sigh, but she didn’t argue with him or keep trying to walk off, so Christian reached out to rub her forehead for a moment and then started towards the feed room, where he kept the brushes. “C’mon, girl.” Lady followed him fairly willingly, keeping slack in the lead rope as she walked with her nose near his shoulder like he had taught her, which pleased Christian even though he was wishing not for the first time that Lady was more like her son.

Christian felt bad about it sometimes, but he liked Cisco a lot more than he liked Lady. Lady had run wild for twelve years and she knew very well that she didn’t need people, which made her standoffish sometimes even when she was in a good mood, and just plain antisocial when she wasn’t. She was gentle and well-behaved once she was caught, but catching her could be difficult some days and downright impossible on others. She didn’t like Christian as much as he would like, even though she liked him more than anyone else, and she was only happy to see him when she thought he might have a bribe for her. If she wasn’t particularly hungry at the time, Christian might as well try to catch a cloud.

Cisco was just the opposite of his dam, friendly to a fault with a tendency to follow even strangers around if they let him. His willing, affectionate temperament made him a joy to be around and meant that it was easy to teach the colt just about anything, which Christian loved more than a little bit. Cisco loved to ‘play’ with people and would happily work for an hour or even two on getting the response to a cue perfect, which led to Christian playing with Cisco a lot more than he played with Lady. The fact the colt was beautiful with the kind of action and conformation that had made several horsemen Christian respected ask if the colt was for sale was just proof to him that he had done good when he adopted Lady because he wanted Cisco so badly.

Christian had known that first time he saw them that Lady was old enough it wasn’t likely she would ever be as friendly as her son, but he had hoped she would prove him wrong. She hadn’t, though, and now he was left with a hard choice to make before spring. Cisco was getting too old to be pastured with his dam unless he was gelded, so Christian had to either find Lady a home where she would be happy or geld Cisco, and he really didn’t want to geld the colt so young, if ever.

Cisco was smart, willing, and built damn near perfect, and Christian had a feeling that the colt would be stallion-quality if he just gave him a chance to grow up and prove it. Lady and Cisco were from one of the more remote herd management areas where the mustang bloodlines were still fairly pure Spanish blood, and they were eligible for double registry because of it if Christian ever decided to breed either of them. Christian had indulged in daydreams more than once about having a place somewhere far from any town with good grass and room for a small herd of mustangs as pure as he could find, and he thought Cisco would make a great herdsire if he ever made the dream a reality.

Christian stepped up into the feed room when he reached it, putting Lady’s bucket on the oat bin and then grabbing Cisco’s halter and the battered tote bag that held his grooming kit before he stepped back outside to look towards Dean and Cisco. Cisco was standing with his head lowered as he leaned into Dean rubbing his shoulder, and Dean was smiling as he watched the colt’s face with a soft, warm look in his eyes that made Christian smile too as he made a decision.

No matter what else Christian learned about Dean, he wasn’t giving up on him anymore than he’d give up on Cisco.

 

~*~

 

Dean wasn’t really paying attention to Christian or Lady as he rubbed Cisco’s shoulder, enjoying the colt’s blissful expression and the way Cisco leaned into his touch.

Dean had never really even wanted a horse of his own, content to admire other people’s horses, but being around Christian and Cisco had already started him thinking about it. He found himself wanting to live with a horse in the back yard that liked him as much as he liked it, and he was starting to hope that maybe he could actually have that as part of Christian’s life. He had told Christian things he never admitted to _anyone_ else, things that should have made Christian think he was a freak and tell him to get out, but instead Christian had just accepted them and moved on. It awed Dean more than a little, and made him realize he really had no doubts about what he felt for Christian anymore, even though a large part of him thought it was stupid to be falling in love with someone he had only known a day.

Christian truly was everything Dean had ever wanted in a guy and more that Dean had never dared even _dream_ about getting. Christian was hot as hell with a body made for sin and enough of a wicked streak to make good use of the fact, but there was so much more than that to him. He was smart even though he seemed like a simple country boy much of the time, and he treated Dean with such tenderness that Dean felt loved and wanted in a way he hadn’t experienced in years. Christian respected Dean’s love of his car, they read the same kind of books and enjoyed the same kinds of food, even liked the same kind of _coffee_ for Pete’s sake.

The fact Christian was a horseman and a musician as well made him almost too good to be true, and it made Dean wonder what Christian could possibly see in him. Christian cared about him despite his many and varied faults, Dean couldn’t doubt that even a little bit after the last few hours, but even though he believed it was true, he had no idea why. Dean had the kind of past that should make someone like Christian run screaming from him, but instead of running Christian had pulled him closer and actually _apologized_ for asking Dean to tell him about it. Dean didn’t understand it even a little, but he was profoundly grateful that Christian saw something in him that Christian thought was worth living with the crazy and the bad.

“Baby?”

Dean looked towards Christian quickly, smiling when he saw Christian was standing in the feed room doorway watching him. “Yeah?”

“You mind haltering Cisco an’ runnin’ a brush over him for me?” Christian asked, giving Dean a sweet warm smile that went all the way to his blue eyes and made them sparkle. “It’ll give you something to do while I brush Lady, an’ he needs it.”

“I’d be glad to,” Dean said quickly as he started walking towards Christian with Cisco trailing along behind him, pleased that Christian would trust him with haltering and brushing the colt. Petting Cisco was one thing, and feeding him was easy enough too, but haltering him and brushing him showed that Christian trusted him to really handle Cisco and do a good job of it.

Lady swung her hip away to turn and watch Dean and Cisco approach while Christian stepped down out of the feed room doorway and moved to offer Dean the dark green rope halter and lead rope he was carrying. “Thanks, babe. He’s a dirt-magnet an’ could always use a good brushing.”

“I don’t mind even a little,” Dean murmured, smiling at Christian as he accepted the halter. “I like playing with him.”

“So I noticed,” Christian said, looking even more pleased as he stepped closer to Dean to kiss him lightly. “You have no idea how much I love watchin’ you with him.”

Dean blushed, smiling and feeling luckier than he had any right to be as he said softly, “Not as much as I like bein’ around him.”

“I gotta beg to differ there,” Christian said with a little chuckle. “You want me to help with the halter?”

Dean shook his head, smiling. “I think I can figure it out, and he won’t give me any trouble.” He moved closer to kiss Christian again, putting how he felt into it and hoping that Christian would understand all the things he couldn’t quite say. When he finally pulled away he gave Christian a soft smile and murmured, “Thanks for givin’ me a chance.”

“I’m not giving you a chance,” Christian disagreed, lifting his free hand to the back of Dean’s neck to tug him closer as he looked into Dean’s eyes. “You don’t need to prove _anything_ to me. I _know_ I can trust you an’ that I want you here with me, no matter what.” He kissed Dean again, so gentle and loving that it drew a low noise from Dean as he pressed closer. Christian pulled away after a few minutes to give Dean a sweet smile and then he leaned in to whisper into Dean’s ear, “Cisco likes you near as much as I do, babe, an’ from the way he’s actin’ he already loves you more than a little.”

Christian pulled away again then, turning to lead Lady to the gate while Dean just watched him, smiling so wide his face hurt.

 

~*~

 

Christian stopped by the gate and turned back to watch Dean with Cisco, not wanting to open the gate until the colt was haltered. Dean was still watching him with a wide, happy smile and sparkling eyes, and Christian smirked as he teased, “He’s smart, but he can’t quite halter himself yet. He still needs you to work the knot.”

Dean let out a little laugh, blushing as he turned towards Cisco, who had stopped near him. “Smartass.”

Christian chuckled softly, just watching as Dean took a look at the rope halter’s tie and then deftly untied it while Cisco watched him with interest. Christian never haltered Cisco unless he was going to play with him or brush him, both of which Cisco loved, so the colt was always happy to see a halter. Dean was holding Cisco’s halter, which Christian knew the colt could recognize by color – Lady’s halter was black, not hunter green – as well as the fact the halter had Cisco’s scent on it, so Cisco was especially interested.

Dean lifted the halter towards Cisco’s head and the colt immediately dropped his head and tried to shove his muzzle into the noseband, making Dean laugh. “Be still, fellah. I’m workin’ on it.”

Cisco held patiently still for Dean to get the halter settled on his head, and Christian grinned widely at how easily Dean managed to copy the tie the halter had on it when he passed it over. Dean was really paying attention when he was out with the horses, and he was learning faster than anyone else Christian had ever tried to introduce to riding and caring for a horse.

Dean glanced at Lady’s head before he pulled the halter knot tight and then looked back at Cisco, adjusting the halter so it fit a bit more snugly before he tightened the knot and stepped back. He picked up the lead rope then and then patted Cisco’s shoulder, looking pleased as he murmured, “There you go.”

Cisco just looked expectantly at Dean, obviously waiting to be told to do something, and Christian laughed as he turned back towards the gate. “He’ll stay with you even if the rope is loose, so make sure you don’t leave so much slack he can step on it.” He opened the gate and started to lead Lady out of the barn without waiting for Dean to reply, heading towards the front porch of the house.

“Gotcha,” Dean said cheerfully.

Christian could hear Dean and Cisco following them but he didn’t look back until he reached the trailer’s steps. He half-turned then, looking back as he tied Lady to a stout post he had sunk near the steps just for that purpose, and what he saw made him grin. Dean had coiled the lead rope in his right hand and was walking with Cisco at his shoulder, both of them obviously relaxed and happy with the lead rope completely loose between them.

“Dean, you might wanna hold that rope in both hands,” Steve said suddenly, making Christian look at him in surprise. Steve was standing at the folding table by the grill rubbing spices into a slab of ribs and looking amused. “He’s just a colt and he might decide to take off.”

Christian looked at Dean and Cisco, lips twitching. Dean had stopped when Steve spoke and Cisco was standing quietly by Dean, looking interested and happy as he watched Dean, obviously waiting for Dean to tell him what he wanted him to do.

Dean looked at Cisco and then back over at Steve. “Steve, man, I’m not tryin’ to be a smartass or anything, but are we lookin’ at the same horse?”

Steve laughed slightly. “He’s a stud colt, Dean. They act up sometimes just for the hell of it.”

Dean looked at Cisco again, taking in the way Cisco was watching him, and then laughed as he looked back at Steve. “I’m thinkin’ that’s not gonna be a problem today, but thanks anyway.”

Steve looked kind of surprised at that and Christian snickered, taking a brush out of his grooming kit and then putting the tote bag on the steps as he said cheerfully, “Just ignore Steve, baby. He’s always expectin’ Cisco to cause trouble like his momma’s Arab colts would, but Cisco’s a mustang, not some airhead show horse. He might not have a pedigree that goes back a hundred years, but he’s honest as hell. You haven’t got anything to worry about.”

Steve snorted and muttered something that Christian couldn’t hear, making Jensen snicker as he wrapped another rack of ribs in foil.

“Well I _knew_ there was nothin’ to worry about,” Dean said with a little laugh, starting towards Christian again with Cisco at his shoulder even though the lead rope was still completely slack. “You wouldn’t let me try it if you weren’t sure I can handle him.”

Christian moved to meet Dean, kissing him soundly and then offering him the brush. “Damn right. I’m not gonna get either one of you hurt.”

Dean grinned. “I know.” He looked at where Lady was tied and then back at Christian, adding, “You want me to tie him, or what? I think he’d probably stand still for me without it.”

“He will,” Christian said, pleased that Dean was getting a feel for what he could expect from Cisco so quickly. “Just throw the rope over your shoulder, he loves bein’ brushed too much to try to wander off as long as you’re touchin’ him.”

“Cool,” Dean said, leaning to kiss Christian again before he turned to Cisco, doing as Christian had said and flipping the leadrope over one shoulder before he started brushing Cisco’s jaw. Cisco leaned into the brush with a happy sigh as he relaxed, and Christian chuckled as he moved to get the other brush and start on Lady.

Christian moved around to Lady’s far side to brush it first so he could watch Dean and Cisco, smiling and pretending he didn’t see the way Steve and Jensen were watching Dean. Steve looked kind of surprised, but Jensen was just grinning ear to ear and looking pleased, and Christian didn’t have to wonder why.

Dean was smiling the whole time as he was stroking the brush slowly over Cisco’s dusty hide, and they both looked about as relaxed and happy as they could get.

 

~*~

 

Jensen just watched Dean brushing Cisco for a few minutes while Steve rubbed down the last rack of ribs, grinning.

Jensen had known that Dean liked horses, but it didn’t really sink in how _much_ until he saw Dean with Cisco. The pinto colt was standing very still and calm, looking happy and relaxed as Dean stroked a soft horsehair brush over his neck, and it was obvious that Dean loved it just as much as the colt did.

Jensen glanced at Christian to see what he thought of it, and found Christian watching Dean over Lady’s back with a gentle expression in his eyes that looked a lot like love to Jensen. Christian wasn’t paying the slightest attention to brushing Lady, but the mare didn’t seem to mind, standing quietly with a bored look on her face as she waited for him to finish.

Jensen glanced at Steve, who he knew was fascinated by the way Dean and Christian were acting towards each other, and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Steve was doing much the same thing as Christian, completely ignoring what he was doing as he watched Dean, his hands moving automatically over the ribs he was putting rub on. Jensen resisted the urge to tease Steve or Christian, instead looking back towards Dean to watch him with an amused smile.

Dean seemed oblivious to the fact there were three people watching him, a soft happy smile on his face as he put his free hand on Cisco’s back and leaned to see Cisco’s throat. If Jensen hadn’t known better, he would have been sure Dean had been brushing horses all his life, he was so careful and thorough at it. Little puffs of dust flew from the brush as Dean moved his attention to a new area on the colt’s coat, but Dean kept patiently brushing the same area until he stopped getting any dirt at all, which left Cisco’s coat clean and shining.

“And you said he’s never had a horse?” Steve murmured suddenly, making Jensen look at him in surprise. “Never even been around them much?”

“Nope,” Jensen replied quietly, keeping his voice down so Dean wouldn’t hear them. “He’s petted horses before but that’s about it.”

“Huh.” Steve turned his attention back to Dean for a moment, absently flipping the ribs over and then glancing down to add more rub to them as he said softly, “He’s sure good with them.”

“It’s because he loves them so much,” Jensen murmured, looking back towards Dean, who was crouched by Cisco, brushing the colt’s foreleg while Cisco turned his head to watch interestedly. “My uncle was just about born on a horse, and he always told me horses know when somebody really wants to be around them.” He looked back at Steve, who was staring at him and frowning slightly. “That’s why he said horses don’t like me very much. I’d rather be driving a car and they know it.”

Steve smiled wryly at that. “Christian’s told me something similar more than once.” He looked down at the ribs and then moved the slab onto the foil in front of Jensen as he changed the subject. “Last rack to wrap up and put on ice.”

Jensen started efficiently wrapping the ribs, content to change the subject and not trying so hard to be quiet anymore as he asked, “When will the ribs go in the smoker?”

“The briskets are all about ten pounds now that I trimmed them up, so they’ll take about five hours or so at the temperature I’ve got the smoker set on,” Steve said, reaching for the paper towels to rip off a couple and wipe his hands. “Ribs only take three or so, less if we’re hungry.”

“And the steaks will go on the grill,” Jensen half-asked, closing the foil snugly around the ribs and then looking at Steve, curious.

“Yeah, we won’t start them until everything else is ready,” Steve agreed with a grin. “Chris ought to get started on the rest of the food in an hour or two so the beans have time to cook, but the way he’s going he won’t.”

“There’s plenty of time,” Christian said with a laugh. “I’m goin’ for a ride first, dammit. I’ll just turn the heat on the beans up a little if we’re late.”

Jensen looked towards Christian and grinned as he saw Christian was looking at Lady finally and really paying attention to getting her brushed out. He was moving much faster, and Jensen knew it was because of Steve’s jibe.

“Uh-huh, sure,” Steve teased, and when Jensen glanced at him he saw Steve was watching Christian with a smirk. “I’ve heard that one before.”

Jensen looked quickly back at Christian, and he laughed when he saw Christian lift one hand to flip Steve off.

Dean snickered as he moved around to Cisco’s other side, teasing, “He’s got a point, y’know.”

Christian laughed and looked at Dean. “Don’t you start too!”

Dean grinned widely as he brushed Cisco, and Jensen was amused to see Dean was working a lot faster too. “I’m not startin’ a thing.”

Christian snorted, amused as he moved around Lady to brush her other side, grumbling just loud enough for Steve and Jensen to hear. “Everyone’s a smartass.”

Jensen snickered, picking up the last rack of wrapped ribs to turn and put them in the cooler with the others before he looked at Steve, grinning. “We done?”

“Yep,” Steve agreed cheerfully as he started around the table towards the house. “Time to raid the kitchen and see who’s playing today.”

“Great,” Jensen said with a laugh, moving quickly to follow Steve.

Steve walked over to the trailer’s steps, skirting around Cisco and Dean, and then stopped there to look at Christian as he asked, “Want me to bring your saddle and bridle out?”

Jensen paused by Steve to wait, watching curiously as Christian snickered and said, “Nah, we’re not gonna bother with the saddle.”

“Seriously?” Jensen asked, surprised and a little worried by that idea. He had seldom ridden bareback, and never on a mustang. It seemed like a dangerous idea to him, especially since he had fallen off his uncle’s laid-back Quarter Horses every time he had ever tried it as a kid. “You’re making Dean ride bareback?”

Christian stopped brushing Lady’s back and turned his head to look at Jensen, frowning slightly and looking surprised. “I learned bareback, just like my granddaddy did, an’ I’m teachin’ Dean the same way. You got a problem with that?”

“It just seems a lot harder to learn that way,” Jensen said quickly, “but if you’re sure you know what you’re doing...”

“I do,” Christian said firmly, still not looking very pleased. “I’ve been ridin’ since was I knee high, an’ Dean ain’t the first person I taught.”

“He’s not gonna let me get hurt, Jen,” Dean said then, and Jensen looked quickly at him to see Dean looked amused. “It ain’t that far to fall if I suck at it, and he’s got a good point about learnin’ bareback makin’ it easy to ride with a saddle later.”

“I still say bareback is dangerous, but hey, if you two want to break your necks, go for it,” Steve said with a laugh, starting up the steps into the trailer. “You want the bridle?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Christian said.

Jensen looked at Dean a moment longer and then turned to follow Steve into the trailer as he said, “Be careful, you two.”

“We will,” Dean said cheerfully.

Jensen paused at the door to look back and saw Dean was already brushing Cisco again, but a glance at Christian found Christian was watching Jensen with a slightly unhappy expression. “Have fun,” Jensen said then, trying to smile at Christian.

Christian looked at Jensen a moment longer and then went back to brushing Lady as he said, “Always do with Dean, an’ ridin’ with him sure ain’t gonna change that.”

Jensen looked at Dean and his smile got a little wider when he saw the way Dean was grinning as he brushed Cisco with efficient little flicks of the brush that easily lifted the dirt out of the colt’s sleek coat. Jensen couldn’t really find too much fault with anything that made Dean look so happy and pleased with himself, unless of course it was at Jensen’s expense. He’d seen that same grin twice when Dean had just pranked him.

Steve came back to the door then and Jensen moved out of his way so Steve could step outside with the bridle he was carrying, which was the hackamore with the thinnest rope noseband that Jensen had seen on the wall earlier.

“You don’t use a bit?” Jensen asked, curious and surprised. He had figured the bridles were for display, not to actually use on the mustangs.

“Nope,” Christian said, moving away from Lady to reach up and take the hackamore from Steve as he looked at Jensen. “Never had much use for ‘em, myself. Lady’s never had a bit in her mouth, an’ won’t if I have any say about it. Bits are for folks that don’t know how to train a horse.”

“You must be really good,” Jensen said, still a bit surprised but smiling at Christian. Jensen’s uncle was a horse trainer who had told him over and over when he was a boy that the best horsemen never needed a bridle at all, so finding out that Christian didn’t use bits on his mustangs made Jensen respect him a little more.

Christian laughed slightly, surprised but pleased. “I get by pretty well, yeah.” He turned back towards Lady, hanging the hackamore over his shoulder as he added, “There’s cold beer in the fridge, and plenty of Doritos in the cabinet.”

It was obviously a dismissal, and Steve laughed as he said, “Yeah, yeah, we’re going.” He turned back towards the house, grabbing Jensen’s shoulders to push him along in front of him. “Let them play with the ponies, I’m starved.”

Jensen laughed and let himself be pushed into the trailer, sure that Christian just wanted some time alone with Dean. “Same here, now that you mention it. That plate of pancakes at four was a long time ago.”

“Then walk faster, man,” Steve said with a laugh, closing the front door behind them and the pushing Jensen towards the kitchen. “The kitchen’s that way.”

Jensen laughed and moved a little faster.

 

~*~

 

Dean finished grooming Cisco and moved to put the brush away, looking over at Christian and Lady. Christian was already at Lady’s head with her lead rope looped twice around her neck while he slipped the bridle on her, and Dean had to snicker at the mare’s slightly put-upon expression. “She doesn’t look too happy with you.”

Christian grinned, settling the bridle behind Lady’s laid-back ears in the gap clipped in her mane there and then looking at Dean while he fastened the throatlatch. “She knows I’m gonna make her work, and it’s a lot warmer than it usually is when I ride her. We usually go out around dawn, not just after one.”

“Is the heat gonna bother her?” Dean asked, surprised and a little concerned.

“Nah, won’t hurt her any more than it’ll hurt us to be out here,” Christian said quickly, smiling. “We’re not gonna be runnin’ her hard, just riding down to one of the neighbors so I can borrow his extra ridin’ horse for a while. Then we’ll be able to go for a real ride early tomorrow mornin’ without botherin’ him.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dean said, pleased.

Christian untied the leadrope from around Lady’s neck and then flipped the long rope reins over her neck and moved to her shoulder, grinning over her back at Dean. “Get up on the porch, babe. Time for your first lesson.”

Dean laughed, surprised. “What do you want me to do with Cisco?”

“Just flip his leadrope over his back an’ let him go, he won’t go anywhere,” Christian said, grinning. “I let him out loose all the time to cut the grass.”

“Okay.” Dean did as he had been told, draping Cisco’s leadrope over his back and then walking up the steps onto the small front porch of the trailer as he looked at Christian, amused. “Next?”

Christian tapped Lady’s hip instead of answering, making a soft clucking noise, and Lady sidestepped with her back feet, swinging around so that her side was towards the porch. He nudged his knuckles the mare’s ribs then, clucking again, and Lady sidestepped neatly over to stand with one corner of the steps under her belly, her side towards Dean. “Now you get on,” Christian said then, smirking up at Dean. “Don’t worry, she’ll stand still an’ it’s real easy. Just put your hands here,” he put one hand on Lady’s back and the other on the top of her shoulders, “and then jump up to lay on your belly on her back so you can swing your leg over.”

Dean laughed and muttered, “Oh yeah, easy as pie.” He moved back down the steps to stand on the third one by Lady’s side, looking towards her head as he put his hands on her back and shoulder and said, “Don’t blow up or anything, girl.” Lady didn’t even glance at him, seemingly ignoring him completely, and Dean let out a little snort of a laugh as he looked over her back at Christian. “You better know how much I trust you.”

Dean didn’t give Christian time to say anything else before he did like Christian had said, using his hands on Lady’s back to brace against as he jumped up to lay over her back and then swung his leg over to sit up. He had ended up about halfway between Lady’s shoulders and her hips, and he was surprised at how easy it was to sit there even when Lady shifted her feet, though it wasn’t exactly comfortable because of how wide-sprung her ribs were.

“Don’t look so shocked, baby,” Christian said with a laugh, patting Dean’s thigh. “I told you it wasn’t hard.”

Dean grinned down at Christian. “Yeah, but not hard for you and not hard for _me’s_ two different things. You were probably ridin’ when you were five.”

“Granddad had me ridin’ in front of him before I was two,” Christian said, smirking as he moved his hand to pat Dean’s ass familiarly. “Now move, you should be right up at her withers, not halfway back to her hip.”

Dean snorted, amused. “And her withers are where?”

Christian grinned. “Right here, baby.” He patted the bony crest of Lady’s shoulders right where her mane stopped, adding, “And lift up when you move so you don’t pinch her, scootin’.”

Dean shifted carefully on Lady’s back, leaning his weight on his hands on her withers to lift up his body as he carefully moved one leg and then the other forwards. He was surprised at the difference it made as he settled where Christian had told him to be a moment later. Lady’s body was much more narrow at the withers and his legs seemed to fall naturally against the groove where her shoulder met her body. He relaxed and settled a little more firmly on Lady’s back, then winced slightly and let out a little laugh as he reached down to adjust himself in his borrowed jeans. “And you _like_ doin’ this?”

Christian snickered and moved towards Lady’s head. “Just move ‘em around until you’re comfortable and you’ll be fine. I been ridin’ bareback all my life an’ it ain’t hurt me more ‘n a few times.”

“Oh yeah, _that_ inspires confidence,” Dean muttered with a little snort of laughter. He shifted a bit more on Lady’s back and then relaxed, surprised when he realized that he _was_ pretty comfortable. “Now what?”

“Now you sit there an’ get used to her walkin’,” Christian said, grinning over his shoulder at Dean and then looking away again as he clucked softly and led Lady forward.

“Okay,” Dean said dubiously as Lady began to move. He tightened his legs around Lady automatically as she moved under him, grabbing a handful of mane to hold on to as Lady’s head went up and she pinned her ears.

Christian looked back at him again then and said, “ _Relax_ , babe.” He ran his gaze over Dean’s body and then let out a little bit of a laugh. “Stop squeezin’ so hard with your legs, you’re tellin’ her to go faster.”

Dean’s eyes widened and he stopped holding on with his legs as he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that to begin with?”

“Most folks I’ve put on a horse didn’t figure out they _could_ hold on with their legs until I told ‘em to do it,” Christian said with a grin, pulling one of Lady’s long reins off of her neck. “Just relax an’ let your legs hang, lookin’ straight ahead over her ears.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Dean said as he did as he was told, letting his legs hang down Lady’s sides and looking ahead of her at the driveway Christian was leading her towards as she walked slowly at Christian’s shoulder. It only took Dean a few moments to get used to the motion of the horse and start to relax, and when he did he was surprised to see Lady’s ears flick forward as the mare let out a big sigh.

“You’re doin’ great, baby,” Christian said then, sounding pleased, and when Dean looked down he saw Christian was grinning ear to ear. “I’m gonna let the rope out so she can walk in a circle around me. You just keep doin’ what you’re doin’ and you’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed, surprised at how much more comfortable he was already feeling on Lady’s back. She walked at any easy pace that wasn’t hard to ride at all, and it was kind of cool how he could feel her muscles flexing every time she took a step.

Christian moved to the side away from Lady and pointed with the hand holding the rope, clucking softly as he waved his other hand towards Lady’s hip and murmured, “Walk, Lady.”

Lady moved away from Christian to walk in a slow circle around him, moving further out when he gave her more slack until Christian was holding the end of the rope rein about seven feet from her and watching as Lady walked. “You’re supposed to be watching where she’s goin’, babe, not looking at me, “ Christian said then, amused.

Dean laughed and looked in front of Lady again, sheepish. “Sorry, you’re a hell of a lot more fun to watch than her ears.”

 

~*~

 

“Nice to hear,” Christian said, smug.

Christian was quiet for a few moments, watching with a pleased smile as Dean rode Lady around him at an easy walk. It didn’t take him long at all to decide Dean looked pretty damned good on her. Dean was obviously enjoying himself, and Lady was relaxed and calm under him because of it. Dean sat a horse like he’d been riding for years, moving with Lady without even seeming to notice it as she walked out easily under him, and after a the fifth time around Christian decided to see how Dean did with the next step.

“Put your hands on your thighs, baby,” Christian said then, smiling. “You don’t need to hold her mane, you’re doin’ great.”

Dean glanced at him, surprised and obviously pleased, then moved his hands like Christian had said as he looked forward again. “Feels pretty good, too.” He paused and was quiet a few strides, then added, “I dunno why Steve and Jen thought this would be so hard.”

Christian smirked. “Because it is for them.”

Dean looked at Christian again, turning his upper body a bit, and Lady turned to walk towards Christian without any further cue. Dean looked down at the mare in surprise and then back at Christian. “Why’d she turn?”

“Because you weren’t lookin’ in front of her,” Christian said, chuckling as he let Lady stop by him, stroking her neck. “She can feel you shifting your weight when you turn your shoulders, just like you’re feelin’ her walk.”

“Dude,” Dean murmured, looking down at Lady as he leaned forward to pat her shoulder, then after a moment he looked back at Christian. “What’d you mean, sayin’ riding is hard for Jen and Steve?”

“They learned to ride with saddles,” Christian explained, “and they count on ‘em a little too much, or at least that’s Steve’s problem. Does Jensen ride?”

“Yeah, he’s got an uncle with horses,” Dean said, still looking kind of surprised. “Why would ridin’ with a saddle make it harder to ride without one?”

“Because a saddle lets you get into all kinds of bad habits,” Christian replied, amused. “Bareback, you can’t put all your weight on your feet in the stirrups, or arch your back an’ stick your butt out, not unless you wanna feel like the horse’s withers are cuttin’ you in two.”

Dean snickered and nodded slowly. “Makes sense.”

“Good,” Christian said, grinning as he flipped Lady’s rein back over her neck. “Time for you to take the reins, babe.”

Dean’s eyes widened a little but he didn’t argue, looking surprised but curious as he reached to pick up the reins. “How short do I need them?”

Christian smiled, patting Lady’s neck and moving to stand in front of her and hold either side of the rope bosal. “Get the reins in each hand and take the slack out, then lift your hands up to your nipples as you let the reins slide through your hands, staying snug.”

Dean let out a little laugh and did as he was told, and Christian checked the reins as Dean asked, “Like this?”

Christian gave the left rein a slight pull and then nodded. “Now put the reins in one hand, but keep hold of that same spot.” Dean did as he was told, letting the ends of the reins keep hanging down either side of Lady’s shoulders, and Christian grinned, pleased. “And that’s how you get your reins the right length for a finished horse, babe.” He let go of Lady and backed off to one side as he added, “Now squeeze real gentle with your legs an’ tell her to move out just like I did before.”

Christian could see the muscles in Dean’s legs flex as he gave the mare’s barrel a squeeze and clucked softly to her before he said, “Walk, Lady.” Lady started forward without hesitation, her ears pricking forward because she happened to be pointed towards the driveway, and Dean let out a delighted laugh. “Oh man, this is _awesome.”_

Christian grinned widely, so proud of Dean he could hardly stand it as he said, “You’re doin’ _perfect_ , babe.” He watched Dean ride away from him a few more strides and then added, “When you want to turn her, just move your hand to that side a little and look towards the way you want to go.”

Dean moved his hand to the right, turning his head to look that way, and then let out another happy laugh as Lady turned easily, curving around until Dean had her pointed back towards Christian. Dean gave Christian a wide happy grin then, his hazel eyes sparkling more green than usual in the sunlight as he asked, “Is that really all there is to it?”

“Except stoppin’, yeah,” Christian said, grinning. “When you get close to me, shift your weight back and lift the reins towards your chin a couple inches.”

Dean did as he was told and Lady stopped neatly, making Dean look kind of pleased and smug as he leaned forward to pet Lady’s shoulder again and murmured, “You’re such a good girl, even if you don’t like me much.”

Christian laughed. “She likes you just fine, or you’d never get her to come in the barn with you. She’s just never gonna be as friendly as Cisco.”

“Or as spoiled,” Dean pointed out, grinning at Christian.

Christian grinned and nodded. “Or as spoiled.” He turned away, walking over towards where Cisco was nibbling on grass near the porch as he asked, “You ready to give ridin’ on the road a try?”

“Hell yeah,” Dean said quickly, and then he clucked softly. Christian glanced back at Dean, curious, and saw Lady following him while Dean grinned at him. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Christian laughed and continued over to Cisco, who lifted his head to look at him interestedly when he reached for the colt’s lead rope. He patted Cisco’s shoulder and then turned back towards Lady and Dean, grinning when he saw Dean had ridden Lady over to the end of the porch. “You’re already way ahead of me, I see.”

Dean grinned and asked, “Will she sidestep for me while I’m ridin’ her?”

“Sidepass,” Christian corrected, “an’ yeah, she will. Pull the reins up so there’s no slack and then nudge her side with your heel about halfway back on her ribs real gentle while you cluck to her.”

Dean pulled the slack up in the reins and then swung his foot back to Lady’s side to bump against her gently as he clucked, and Lady’s ears flicked back as she sidepassed towards the porch, making Dean grin widely. “That is so fuckin’ cool!” He got her to do it twice more and then stopped her, leaning to pet her again and grinning like a fool as he murmured, “You’re _such_ a good girl, Lady.”

Christian laughed at the way Lady ignored Dean completely, looking bored. “Hell, any horse oughta be able to do that. Wait until you see her really goin’ through her paces before you get all impressed.”

Dean held the reins a bit short to keep Lady still without needing to be told to do it, grinning as he looked across the porch at Christian. “I’m still learnin’ to walk, so she’s doin’ pretty damned good from where I sit.”

Christian snickered, leading Cisco around the porch to stop by Lady and offer Dean the colt’s lead rope. “Hold Cisco, baby.”

Dean took the leadrope, still grinning and looking pretty happy. “I got him.”

Christian walked back around to the steps and up onto the porch, walking to where Dean had stopped Lady and then asking, “You wanna be in front or in back?”

“Don’t care,” Dean said promptly, grinning. “Long as I’m with you, I’ll enjoy it.”

“Back it is,” Christian said with a grin, bending to kiss Dean soundly and then taking the reins as he said, “Scoot back some, babe. I need where you are.”

“You got it.” Dean put his hands on Lady’s withers and scooted back easily, then leaned back to make it easier for Christian to swing his leg over without needing to be told to.

Christian bent to brace his left hand on Lady’s withers as he stepped off the porch, dropping lightly onto the mare’s back and then making sure he had the reins the same length still before he looked over his right shoulder at Dean, grinning. “You ready?”

“I’m always ready,” Dean replied quickly, grinning as he shifted forward to settle a lot closer to Christian, sliding his arms around Christian’s waist.

Christian smirked and murmured, “Mm, feels like somebody’s kinda happy.”

“Try a lot happy,” Dean said with a wide cheerful smile, and then he kissed Christian lightly. “Now eyes where we’re goin’, or you’ll confuse your horse.”

Christian laughed and turned to look to the left, squeezing Lady’s sides with his calves as he clucked to her, and Lady turned away from the trailer and the porch to start walking quickly towards the driveway.

Dean was holding on as Christian let Lady lengthen her stride to walk a little faster, but he was completely relaxed against Christian’s back, which made it easy for Christian to just relax and enjoy the ride too. He glanced back once to be sure Cisco was staying by them, and then he put his attention back on the driveway as he settled back against Dean.

Dean gave Christian a squeeze and kissed the side of his neck, then murmured into his ear, “I’m lovin’ this.”

“Me too,” Christian replied softly, feeling as happy as he could remember being in a very long time.

 

~*~

 

Dean could hardly believe how much fun it was to ride, but that fun was tempered a little by the way Christian tensed up when they got out to the dirt road, where they could hear an approaching vehicle. Dean loosened his grip on Christian and sat back, putting some room between them and moving his hands to rest on his own thighs as he remembered that there was a whole world outside Christian’s place. He knew Christian had a high-profile job and a reluctance to have people see him with Dean unless he trusted them, and that led to one conclusion that made Dean speak up before he stopped to think about it.

“You’re not out, are you?” Dean asked softly, tugging Cisco’s rope to get the colt a little closer to Lady just as a Jeep rounded a corner in front of them.

“We can talk about it in a minute, babe,” Christian murmured, sounding just a little sad, and Dean had to fight the impulse to hug him.

There was a ruggedly pretty older woman driving the Jeep that reminded Dean of the wife of one of his dad’s war buddies, and when she got closer to the horses she slowed to a crawl, smiling and waving. “Afternoon, Christian!”

Christian guided Lady towards the side of the road out of the way, smiling and nodding to the driver of the Jeep as he stopped Lady. “Hey Julie. How’s Khan doing?”

“Great!” Julie replied with a wide grin as let the Jeep roll to a stop by them. “You did a fantastic job with him. If it wasn’t _me_ he used to throw whenever he was feeling frisky, I’d never know it was the same colt.”

Christian grinned widely at that, shifting on Lady to get a bit more comfortable as he said, “That’s great! I figured thirty days would be enough to get him straightened out. He’s a good colt, he just didn’t get the difference between wantin’ to play an’ workin’ for a livin’. I’m glad it stuck with him.”

“It did, definitely,” Julie replied, grinning still as she turned her attention curiously to Dean. “Who’s your friend, Christian?”

Christian laughed. “Sorry, this is Dean, he’s an old friend of mine that's gonna be stayin’ with me. We were just ridin’ up to Leon’s place to borrow Wyatt. Dean likes to ride near as much as I do, an’ ridin’ double’s not near as much fun as people think. It’s a little better bareback, but that ain’t sayin’ a whole lot.”

Julie laughed. “I heard that.” She grinned at Dean. “Nice to meet you, Dean. I’m Julie.”

Dean returned the grin, glad he was so used to his dad lying about who he was that it was easy for him not to react to anything Christian said. “Same here, ma’am. Always nice meetin’ one of Christian’s lady friends.”

Julie grinned, turning her attention back to Christian as she teased, “You didn’t mention he’s from Oklahoma too, Christian.”

Christian laughed. “Didn’t think I’d have to once he opened his mouth. Dean’s accent’s near as bad as mine.”

Dean laughed and gave Christian a little shove. “Shut up.”

Christian snickered and glanced over his shoulder at Dean, his blue eyes sparkling. “You know it’s true! You could pass as a Texas boy if you tried, and everyone knows they sound even more country than we do.”

Julie laughed. “You boys have fun, I’ve got chores to do.” She waved to them and then started the Jeep forward slowly.

“See you around,” Christian agreed with a grin, nudging Lady with his heels to get her moving again.

Dean waved to Julie with his free hand, turning his attention to the road and staying quiet until the sound of the Jeep’s engine had faded enough he was sure she couldn’t hear them. “So I’m just the old buddy from home?” he asked softly then, curious.

Christian looked back over his shoulder, his gaze going to the road behind Dean before he stopped Lady, looking into Dean’s eyes with a slight frown. “I can’t come out, babe, not right now. I’m only scheduled for a couple more episodes of _Angel_ an’ then I’m gonna be hunting work, and I won’t get near as many options if I come out. I want the whole world to know you’re mine, but it just wouldn’t be smart right now, an’ I gotta fami—”

Dean reached for Christian’s waist with his free hand, stroking his side soothingly as he interrupted with a smile. “Christian, stop. I _understand_. I just need to know what I’m supposed to say if anyone asks me.”

Christian looked into Dean’s eyes for a moment and then relaxed, turning to face forward as he started Lady moving again. “It’ll be different with people we can trust, babe. I’m not hidin’ how I feel from everyone, but Julie’s someone who can’t know. She’s a sweet lady an’ a good friend, but she’s also one of the biggest gossips around and if she starts runnin’ her mouth, it’ll be all over town in a few days. Julie’s been a popular makeup artist near as long as I’ve been alive, and she knows ever’body in the business.”

“What about the folks comin’ out this evening?” Dean asked gently, curious.

Christian was quiet for a long moment before he sighed softly and said, “I gotta talk to David alone first, but once he’s okay with it, we can probably relax. I don’t think anyone’s comin’ we need to worry about besides him.”

“David?” Dean asked, trying not to let himself leap to any conclusions even though the way Christian had said that made him think that if David wasn’t okay with it, it wouldn’t be good.

“Boreanaz,” Christian said quietly. “He plays Angel, an’ he’s one of my best friends besides Stevie.” He paused and then added, “He doesn’t know I’m bi though, and he talks to my dad all the time, so I’m gonna have to explain an’ ask him to keep it to himself.”

Dean relaxed a bit, which made him realize how he had tensed up, and he felt his face heating up as he murmured, “I can do the old buddy from back home thing if you want. You don’t have to tell him.”

Christian reached back with his free hand to put it on Dean’s thigh, stroking. “I want to. I want to be able to kiss you any damned time I feel like it as long as we’re home, an’ Dave’ll be around enough that he’s gonna have to know or I won’t be able to do that.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed quietly, smiling.

Christian’s hand tightened on Dean’s thigh for a moment, squeezing, then he let go as he changed the subject completely, asking, “When we get to Leon’s place do you wanna ride Lady, or Wyatt? He’s real gentle an’ trained near as good as Lady is.”

“Lady,” Dean replied without even needing to think about it. “Me an’ her get along okay, and I’d like her to get used to me.”

“Me too,” Christian said, glancing back at Dean with a pleased smile. “I’m hopin’ you’ll be goin’ riding with me a lot.”

“I’d like that,” Dean agreed, smiling wider.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Christian said as he looked back at the road.

Dean smiled and looked towards the road in front of them, relaxing to just enjoy the ride as Lady walked quickly towards the main road. He wasn’t sure which of the little ranchettes he had seen on the way to Christian’s place the night before belonged to Leon, but it didn’t really matter.

It wouldn’t bother him if it were an hour’s ride.

 

~*~

 

Jensen was holding the door on the smoker open for Steve and watching interestedly while Steve used a string mop to slather the briskets with a mixture of apple cider, soy sauce, brown sugar, A1 steak sauce, and bourbon. The mixture smelled delicious enough to drink to Jensen, and he couldn’t wait to find out how it would make the briskets taste.

Jensen realized suddenly then that he could hear cantering horses. He turned his head to look towards the sound and then his eyes went wide as he stared. Christian was riding a flashy bald-faced bay horse Jensen remembered seeing at the house where Steve had parked the Bronco earlier on their way to Christian’s place, and Dean was riding next to him on Lady. Cisco was at Lady’s right side with his lead rope draped over Dean’s thighs and loosely coiled in Dean’s left hand, and all three horses were cantering easily up the driveway.

The horses weren’t what amazed Jensen, though. Dean was riding almost as smoothly as Christian was, moving with Lady without any trouble as the mare cantered along between the bay and Cisco until they reached the yard. Christian shifted slightly on the bay then, such a small adjustment Jensen almost missed it as the bay slowed to a fast trot. Dean followed suit by lifting the hand that held Lady’s reins and leaning back just enough Jensen could tell he had done it, and Lady dropped neatly from a canter to a walk just as the bay also slowed to a walk.

Christian looked at Dean then and winked, and Dean grinned at him, looking pleased as he leaned forward to pat Lady’s shoulder and murmured something that made Christian laugh.

“And you say he’s never been on a horse?” Steve asked as he pulled the smoker’s door out of Jensen’s hand to close it, sounding as shocked as Jensen felt.

Jensen let out a laugh, watching as Christian turned the bay he was riding towards the trailer’s front porch. Dean guided Lady and Cisco to stay at Christian’s left side, riding with a relaxed ease that amazed Jensen. “Not even once.”

Christian sat back on the bay, not bothering to lift the reins he was holding loosely in one hand, and the bay halted neatly at the steps, but Jensen barely even noticed it. He was too busy staring as Dean lifted Lady’s reins again and Lady stopped as square and perfect as if Dean had been riding every day of his life.

Dean looked down between Lady and the bay and then lifted his hand with the reins again and clucked, and Lady sidepassed neatly to the right towards Cisco, who got out of her way as Dean moved the mare sideways a few steps before he lowered the reins again. He leaned forward and patted Lady’s shoulder, looking happy as he murmured something Jensen couldn’t hear that made Christian look over at him, grinning.

“Just, what the _hell_ , man?” Steve asked, and when Jensen glanced towards him he almost laughed at how shocked Steve looked. “I thought you couldn’t ride, Dean?”

“I never said I _couldn’t_ ,” Dean said with a wide, smug grin. “Just that I never had.” He dropped Lady’s reins on her neck and then swung his right leg over her withers to slide off of her back, landing easily and then reaching for Lady’s bridle to lead her towards where her halter was lying on the porch.

Jensen hadn’t noticed when Christian got off the bay, but Christian was grinning ear to ear as he grabbed the tote bag of grooming tools off the steps. “He’s a natural with horses, Stevie. I already told you that. I can tell him somethin’ once an’ he just _gets_ _it_.”

Steve let out a strangled little laugh. “Riding bareback at a _canter_ isn’t catching a hungry horse with a bucket of feed, Chris! How in hell did he do that?”

“God-given talent,” Christian said with a smug smirk, leading the bay towards the barn.

Dean grabbed Lady’s halter and then turned her and Cisco to follow Christian with the two mustangs as he looked over at Steve and Jensen, adding, “And a fan-fuckin’-tastic teacher.”

“They don’t wanna know about the fuckin’ part, baby,” Christian said, snickering.

“Too bad, so sad,” Dean replied, smirking. “I kinda like the fuckin’ part.”

Christian just laughed, and Jensen turned back towards Steve. “Am I the only one that falls off half the time if I ride a horse bareback faster than a _walk_?”

“No,” Steve said quickly, giving Jensen a wide-eyed look. “Hell, I’ve fallen off a couple times when they _were_ walking.”

Dean snickered and Jensen looked towards him to see Dean was grinning and looking surprised as he said, “Tell me you’re kiddin’, Steve. Walkin’ is _easy_.”

“Oh shut up,” Steve said with a laugh. “I should’ve known after all the rest you’d ride like you were born to it.”

Dean blinked and laughed slightly as he blushed. “All the rest?”

“He means you bein’ so damn perfect, babe,” Christian said cheerfully, opening the barn to lead the bay inside.

“I’m not perfect, God!” Dean exclaimed with a laugh, beet red as he led Lady and Cisco to the barn. “Not even _close_.”

“So _you_ say,” Christian said just loud enough Jensen could hear him.

Dean muttered something Jensen couldn’t hear, walking with Lady and Cisco into the barn.

Jensen turned back to Steve, still feeling kind of surprised. “The way they’re going you might wanna just move in with me. I bet they’re going to be terrible to live with, all _cuddly_ and sweet and screwing around every time they get half a chance.”

Steve snorted, looking amused as he moved back to the smoker to open it and go back to mopping the briskets. “I never sleep out here anyway except when we barbecue, and not always then. If they get loud it won’t be the first time I had to listen to him having a little fun, but he’s usually pretty good about turning up his stereo loud enough all I hear is the music.”

“Well, you’re welcome to crash on Dean’s bed when you don’t wanna put up with them,” Jensen said with a little laugh, holding the smoker door. “I got a feeling he won’t be using it anymore.”

Steve looked at Jensen, grinning suddenly and looking pretty pleased. “You and me both, Jen.”

 

~*~

 

Christian put the tote bag of grooming tools in the feed room just inside the door and then led Wyatt towards the back of the barn. “Just toss Lady’s halter in the feed room, babe, I’ll put it up when we feed tonight. And don’t forget to close the gate.”

“I got it,” Dean replied quietly, leading Lady and Cisco into the barn before he tossed Lady’s halter into the feed room. He turned the horses around so he could close the gate, still blushing some even though he was kind of pleased and even a little smug that Jensen and Steve were so surprised by how well he rode Lady. It wasn’t like it was difficult for him or anything, but Dean was beginning to realize that wasn’t the case for everyone. Knowing that Christian had been on a horse without supervision by the time he was four had made Dean think it was pretty easy, but he was starting to realize that Christian was just an exceptional horseman.

Dean turned Lady and Cisco again and started after Christian, who had already led Wyatt out of the barn and was heading around the back towards the right. Dean followed him out and around, only a little surprised to see a huge water trough against the side wall of the barn in the shade near a half full hay rack. He had known that the hay rack was out there from the night before when Christian carried a bale of hay out, but he hadn’t seen it for himself or known there was a water source besides the small automatic waterers in the stalls.

Christian was standing between Dean and Wyatt at the water trough, letting the gelding get a drink as he looked at Dean, still smirking. “You can turn ‘em loose now, babe.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed. He stopped Lady and turned towards her to unbuckle the throat strap on her bridle and then slip it off over her head. Lady immediately turned away and walked off across the pasture as if Dean wasn’t even there, and Dean snickered as he turned back towards Cisco and muttered, “You’re welcome.”

Christian chuckled. “She just wants to go roll, she’s not gonna stick around to be friendly.”

“So I see,” Dean replied, amused as he hung Lady’s bridle on his arm to take off Cisco’s halter. He untied the knot below Cisco’s left ear and then slipped the rope halter off of the colt’s head and patted his shoulder, murmuring, “Go on, fellah.”

Cisco walked to the water trough instead of following Lady, plunging his muzzle into the water nearly up to his eyes.

“Why’s he doing that?” Dean asked, surprised as he moved closer to Cisco.

Christian laughed, slipping off Wyatt’s bridle, which was one simple strap that went behind the ears attached to an odd contraption Christian had said was called a hackamore bit. It consisted of long metal cheeks on a braided leather noseband with a chain that went under the chin, and Dean couldn’t really see much point to it when he compared it to Lady’s simple rope noseband, but Wyatt’s owner liked it. Christian seldom borrowed Wyatt for anyone to ride, so he used the tack the gelding was accustomed to even though he had told Dean he would never use a hackamore bit on his own horses. 

“He does it all the time,” Christian said as he leaned against Wyatt’s shoulder and smiled at Dean, amused. “Granddad used to say that a horse that buries his face in the water like that would make a good war pony, but I ain’t plannin’ to go raiding any time soon.”

Dean snickered, amused. “Smart move.”

Christian moved around Cisco to walk up to Dean, sliding his free hand around Dean’s waist to tug Dean closer as he murmured, “I’m about to make a smarter one.”

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked as he looked into Christian’s sparkling blue eyes, smirking slightly at the hunger he saw there.

“Yep,” Christian said softly, smirking and wicked. “Now that we’re all hot an’ dusty, I’m thinkin’ it’s time for a nice long shower with my new roommate so I can remind him how sexy he is and how glad I am he’s stayin’.”

Dean felt his face heating up as his smirk softened into a pleased smile. “There’s just no way I can say no when you put it like that,” he murmured, shifting a little closer to Christian as he leaned to kiss him.

“I know,” Christian whispered smugly, kissing Dean with a low pleased noise somewhere between a hum and a growl.

 

~*~

 

Christian let himself get lost in kissing Dean, something he had wanted to do since they left the yard most of two hours earlier. He hardly even realized he was pushing Dean backwards until Dean’s back hit the side of the barn with a thud, followed by the sound of the halter and bridle Dean held hitting the ground by their feet. Dean growled soft and low into his mouth, sucking on Christian’s tongue as he shifted his feet, then lifted one leg to hook it around Christian’s thigh as he flexed his hips to rub against him.

Christian moved his hips to grind slowly against Dean, breaking the kiss to murmur, “I thought we were gonna go take a shower.”

Dean licked his lips, hazel eyes hungry and dark in the shade of the barn as he said quietly, “Here, the shower... I’m not picky.”

Christian leaned in closer to nuzzle Dean’s cheek as he rocked his hips again, loving the low noise Dean made, and then he breathed into Dean’s ear, “Or we could do both.”

Dean shuddered slightly and his hand tightened on Christian’s shoulders as he writhed against Christian and whispered, “Even better.”

Christian nipped Dean’s earlobe, dropping the bridle he held with a clatter and then reaching for Dean’s belt to tug it loose as he growled softly, “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“You,” Dean replied without hesitation, one hand lifting to Christian’s hair and tugging as he twisted his head towards Christian.

Christian followed the pull on his hair, kissing Dean hungrily as he slid his arms around Dean again, forgetting Dean’s jeans for the moment because of the way Dean was moving against him. Dean couldn’t seem to be still, his body writhing against Christian’s, and the constant friction against Christian’s cock was giving him all kinds of ideas.

Dean made an impatient noise and moved his hands to unfasten the buttons on Christian’s jeans as he ended the kiss with a gasp to whisper, “Gonna get you good an’ wet so you can fuck me.” He kissed Christian again and then he pulled away, turning them around to push Christian against the wall of the barn as he fell to his knees.

Christian licked his lips, stroking Dean’s shoulders as he looked down to watch Dean and murmured, “Gonna have to learn to carry lube.”

Dean let out a little breathy laugh, looking up as he made quick work of the button fly of Christian’s jeans. “Got some in my wallet, with a couple rubbers.” He grinned and then dragged Christian’s jeans and boxers down to mid-thigh, making Christian groan at the way the waistband of his boxers rubbed along his cock. “Wallet’s by your bed with my switch, though.” He leaned in without another word to take Christian’s cock in his mouth as he moved one hand to the base to squeeze gently.

Christian shuddered, watching Dean intently as he moved one hand to the back of Dean’s head, stroking through his hair as he growled, “Our bed.”

Dean hummed around Christian’s cock, looking up into Christian’s eyes as he sucked hard, swirling his tongue against the underside just below the slit. Christian couldn’t keep from thrusting into Dean’s mouth slightly, and then he groaned at the way Dean just closed his eyes and leaned into it to take his cock right to the root, his throat squeezing tight around the head as he swallowed around it, nuzzling Christian’s pubes.

“Fuck, baby,” Christian gasped, his head thudding back against the barn as his hips jerked slightly again.

Dean began to pull away, sucking hard the whole time, and then he pulled off of Christian’s cock with a wet pop to murmur huskily, “In a minute.” He licked at Christian’s cock again then, tongue swirling over the sensitive crown, and Christian looked back down to watch. Dean glanced up and stared into his eyes a moment, licking precome from the head of his cock slowly, then whispered against the sensitive skin with a wicked little grin, “You’re not wet enough.”

“You’re the one needs to be wet, babe,” Christian murmured, trying to hold still as he watched Dean licking his cock like it was candy. He couldn’t quite stop himself from moving, but he could control it enough that his hips only twitched slightly, muscles flexing in his thighs and belly.

Dean’s cheeks reddened a bit at that and he pulled back to look up at Christian, licking his lips before he admitted, “I’ll be plenty lubed from earlier. I didn’t do more than wipe off after you fucked me on the back porch.”

Christian groaned and slid down the wall crouch in front of Dean as he whispered, “That shouldn’t be so fuckin’ hot.” He kissed Dean hard and fast, plundering Dean’s mouth while Dean moaned and pressed closer to him, and then he pulled away to look into Dean’s eyes as he murmured, “I don’t have a rubber either, babe.”

“You ain’t gonna get me pregnant,” Dean replied softly, blushing again.

Christian shuddered at the thought of doing Dean raw, staring into Dean’s eyes as he half-asked, “I thought you don’t fuck without protection?”

“Never have,” Dean admitted, “but I sure as hell don’t want to have to try an’ walk to my car or the house when my dick is so hard it hurts. You said you’ve been careful, and I’m clean.”

Christian licked his lips. “I haven’t fucked anyone raw in years. Not since Michelle.”

“You tryin’ to say you don’t want to?” Dean asked softly, pulling away just a bit as he settled back on his heels.

Christian lifted one hand to Dean’s jaw, stroking along Dean’s lower lip with his thumb. “I want to baby, you have no fuckin’ idea how much. I just don’t want you doin’ something like that unless you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Dean whispered, leaning into Christian’s touch as he gave him a soft smile that made his hazel eyes go warm and loving. “No doubts at all.”

Christian leaned down to kiss him without another word, groaning softly at the way Dean moved closer again to melt against him with a quiet pleased hum.

 

~*~

 

Jensen looked at Steve as he heard something hit the far side of the barn again, amused. “Why is it I have the feeling I _really_ don’t want to know what’s going on over behind the barn?”

Steve snickered, looking up from unwrapping the last rack of ribs. “Do you really have any doubt, Jen?” He nodded towards where Lady, Cisco, and the bay were all grazing well down the side of the driveway. “They sure aren’t playing with the horses, and there isn’t much they could do that Cisco wouldn’t want to hang around and watch, unless Chris told him to get lost.”

Somebody on the far side of the barn groaned loudly enough then that they could hear it clearly, deep and heartfelt with more than a little growl to it, and Jensen made a face. “Hurry up, man. I don’t want to hear any more.”

“You think I do?” Steve asked with a laugh, carrying a stack of ribs towards the smoker. “Get the door open.”

Jensen quickly opened the smoker’s door and held it while Steve put the ribs on the lower rack of the smoker. “I vote we go in, grab a couple of beers, and find a nice _loud_ baseball game to watch.”

“I’ll second that one,” Steve agreed, moving ribs off the stack to lay them out on the rack. It only took him a minute to finish and then he backed away, letting Jensen close the smoker as he added, “We don’t have to check it again for an hour or so.”

“Great,” Jensen said, already starting quickly towards the house and trying to pretend he didn’t hear the noises Dean and Christian were making. From the sound of it he was pretty sure that Dean was getting fucked thoroughly and loving every second of it, which just wasn’t something Jensen had _ever_ wanted to hear.

Steve moved hurriedly after him, not even bothering to wipe his hands first as he muttered just loud enough for Jensen to hear, “Well, at least he’s _happy_ , even if he can’t keep his dick in his pants.”

Jensen snickered, taking the trailer’s front steps two at a time. “Amen.”

 

~*~

 

Dean shifted between Christian and the wall of the barn, humming softly as he moved his feet to settle his legs a little more comfortably around Christian’s waist. Christian pressed a lingering kiss to his jaw and ran one hand through his sweaty hair, his other arm tightening around Dean’s waist a bit, and Dean could feel Christian smiling against his skin.

Dean smiled and kissed Christian’s temple, a little amused by the fact he was tired and his body was streaked with dust that had quickly turned into mud when it hit his sweaty skin, but he was feeling incredible anyway. Sex against the barn wall had been pretty fantastic right up until Christian’s knees gave out after he came, causing them both to fall. Dean had landed mostly in Christian’s lap, but Christian was on his knees in the sand and Dean was sure that Christian was probably just as dirty as he was despite the fact Christian still wore his jeans.

They had been sitting there for a good fifteen minutes, and Dean was just starting to feel like he could walk without making a fool of himself. He wasn’t sure what it was about sex with Christian that affected him so deeply, but every time had left him feeling weak as a kitten but _very_ happy about it. He had felt the same way only a few times before, all when he was with Puck and Kurt, but he didn’t want to think about the obvious conclusion that led to so he tried to put it out of his mind. Dean had known Christian less than twenty-four hours, and it still scared him to think about how strongly he felt about someone he barely knew.

“I dunno about you,” Christian murmured suddenly, sounding amused, “but I’m thinkin’ that shower would be kinda nice right now.” He began to trail soft little kisses along Dean’s jawline as soon as he spoke, prompting Dean to tip his head to give him better access.

“Shower sounds real nice,” Dean agreed softly, sliding his hands over the sweat-slicked muscles of Christian’s back. “Not lookin’ forward to listenin’ to Jen and Steve when we have to go past ‘em, though. We both look like we’ve been rollin’ in the dirt, and Jen at least won’t be able to resist givin’ us hell over it.”

Christian chuckled and nipped Dean’s throat gently, then pulled back to look into his eyes, grinning. “We can go in the back door. They oughta be watchin’ a game by now, an’ you’re gonna need to get your clothes from the dryer anyway.”

Dean grinned and didn’t hesitate to agree, even though he had a change of clothes in the trunk of his car. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He kissed Christian, humming in pleasure when Christian deepened the kiss.

Christian’s hands slid slowly down over Dean's back to his ass, pausing there to stroke possessively over Dean’s sweaty, gritty skin. He finally pulled away again to give Dean an impish little smirk as he teased, “You got your ass filthy.”

Dean snorted, amused. “And you didn’t?”

Christian’s smirk widened a bit. “My ass didn’t hit the ground, just my knees, an’ I’m still wearin’ _my_ jeans.”

Dean let out a soft little laugh, blushing. His jeans were bunched up around one ankle, leaving his other leg bare except for his boot. He still didn’t know how Christian managed to get the jeans off his leg without taking the boot too, mostly because he was leaning face-first against the wall at the time, trying to collect his scattered wits after Christian rimmed him until he came without either of them ever touching his cock. Dean hadn’t really expected Christian to enjoy it, but Christian had surprised him and was entirely too smug after he made Dean fall apart at the seams without using anything but his talented tongue and two fingers that seemed to have a homing instinct for Dean’s prostate.

Dean hadn’t wanted to wait for sex just because neither of them had a condom, and it meant a lot to him that Christian hadn’t hesitated once he was sure it was what Dean really wanted. It had seemed like only moments after Dean came that he had ended up with his back against the wall and his legs snug around Christian’s waist, his mouth being thoroughly explored by Christian’s tongue while Christian’s cock slid into him. Dean had never actually barebacked with anyone before, male or female, but it had felt right to do it with Christian and he wanted to repeat the experience as often as possible. He wasn’t sure if his imagination and how he felt about Christian had fooled him into thinking it was so much more intense without the thin barrier of a rubber between them, but then again, he didn’t really care. It had been mind-shatteringly awesome and he wanted to do it again.

Christian kissed Dean again and then patted his ass familiarly as he smirked and murmured, “On your feet, babe. If we don’t get movin’ we’ll never make it as far as the shower before I get distracted again.”

Dean chuckled slightly and shifted to get his feet under him, grateful for the way Christian grabbed his waist to help when he almost lost his balance. “Thanks,” he murmured, kissing Christian lightly before he stood and then offered Christian his hand.

Christian took his hand and stood, stepping in close as he smirked and murmured, “It’s scary how fuckable you look right now.”

Dean laughed, blushing as Christian kissed him even though he didn’t hesitate to kiss back. He didn’t think he looked sexy at all, naked except for his boots, sweaty and dirty with an even dirtier pair of jeans bunched up around one ankle, which couldn’t really be anything but ridiculous as far as he was concerned. Christian finally ended the kiss after a long moment, still smirking as Dean gave him a crooked little smile and murmured, “Stop distractin’ me an’ hand me my shirt.”

Christian laughed softly and kissed him again, quickly that time, then stepped away as he glanced around. “Which way did I pitch it?”

“Away,” Dean said with a soft laugh, bending to untangle his borrowed jeans.

 

~*~

 

Christian climbed the stairs onto the back porch, moving to the washing machine to open the lid and drop in the shirts he was carrying. Dean’s tank top was soaked from being in the water tank and more than a little dirty because Dean had used it to wipe off with, and Christian’s shirts were dusty and damp from being wadded up with the tank top, so he saw no reason to bring them in the house at all. He’d just have to carry them back outside again to wash them anyway.

Dean opened the dryer and took out his clothes, wadding them up together so he wouldn’t drop any on the way inside as he asked softly, “We still have time for a shower?”

Christian smiled at Dean, closing the washer and then moving to the back door to walk inside as he said, “Plenty of time, babe, don’t worry about it. It won’t take much more than an hour to make everything, and the briskets won’t be done for a few hours yet.”

Dean followed Christian into the kitchen, and a glance back at him showed that Dean was blushing as he muttered, “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Christian repeated as he reached for Dean’s free hand to start tugging him towards the door to his – no, _their_ – bedroom. “The beans are canned an’ just have to heat through after I doctor ‘em up, and makin’ potato salad takes about thirty minutes from cuttin’ the potatoes to bein’ ready to eat.” He looked back at Dean, smiling at him. “Everything else is even easier than that, or already done.”

“You use canned beans?” Jensen asked as he approached the kitchen.

Dean blushed all the way down to his collarbone and looked almost like he expected to be tackled as soon as Jensen appeared, but Christian didn’t even slow down, giving Jensen a grin as he led Dean towards their room. “I do when I don’t feel like goin’ to the trouble of cookin’ ‘em all day. It ain’t like any of my friends can tell the difference anyway.”

“The canned ones are just as good!” Steve called from the living room with a laugh, turning the volume on the television back up as a commercial ended. “And grab the chips while you’re in there, Jen.”

“Sure,” Jensen called back as he moved around the breakfast bar to walk to the fridge. “Just as soon as you tell me where to look for them, dumbass!”

“Cabinet over the bread box,” Christian said, snickering. “The Doritos are what he wants though, not the potato chips.”

“Please!” Steve agreed, and then whooped and cheered, “Yeah, baby! Knock it out of the park, Chipper!”

Jensen just laughed and took two bottles of Corona out of the fridge.

Christian towed Dean into their room before he murmured with amusement, “They get along pretty good.”

Dean nodded, still blushing as he let go of Christian’s hand to close the bedroom door and then said softly, “Yeah, they seem to. Jen’s a great guy though, easy to get along with.”

“Must be one more way he’s like you,” Christian said with a warm smile, stepping in close to kiss Dean softly and then turning away to walk towards the bathroom as he started unbuttoning his jeans. “Now toss your clean clothes on the bed an’ get naked, we got a shower callin’ us.”

Christian stopped by the hamper to strip, toeing out of his boots and then looking towards Dean as he began to push down his jeans and boxers. Dean had already dropped his clean clothes on the bed and was sitting near them as he untied his boots, smiling and looking happy and relaxed as his blush faded away. He looked beautiful to Christian, all sleek muscle and pale freckled skin that had a hint of flush to it from the sun, and he found himself wishing he could just sit and admire Dean all day.

Dean glanced up then and caught Christian watching him, and he blushed a little as he asked softly, “What are you thinkin’ about?”

“How beautiful you are,” Christian replied truthfully as he tossed his clothes in the hamper, feeling his face heating up even though he was still smiling. “How much I’d like to just spend the day starin’ at you.”

Dean looked a bit surprised and a lot shy at that, smiling slightly as he murmured, “I wouldn’t mind, as long as I get to do the same.”

Christian grinned, absently scratching his stomach as he asked teasingly, “You wanna spend the day starin’ at you too?”

Dean laughed, blushing darker as he looked back down to finish untying his boot. “No, but I wouldn’t mind gettin’ to stare at you. You’re pretty damned temptin’, standin’ there without a stitch on.”

Christian laughed, feeling like even his ears were burning as he turned to walk into the bathroom. “I think that’s my cue to go start the shower.” __

Dean let out a soft little laugh and then he heard Dean’s other boot hit the floor as Dean murmured, “Such a _fuckable_ little ass.”

Christian stopped in the bathroom doorway and turned to look at Dean, his eyes going wide. He and Dean had already talked about the fact Christian had let a girl try a finger up his ass while she blew him once and it just wasn’t anything he ever wanted to feel again. “Not happenin’, babe. We talked about that.”

“I know,” Dean agreed immediately, beet red and looking sheepish as he stood to strip out of his borrowed jeans. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”

Christian looked at Dean for a moment, and then asked quietly, “Does it bother you?”

“No,” Dean replied quickly, still beet red. He kicked out of the jeans and then bent to pick them up, not looking at Christian as he said, “I wasn’t doin’ false advertisin’, Christian.” He looked at Christian again as he walked towards him, still very red. “You’ve got a perfect ass, and I won’t lie and say I haven’t wondered what it might be like to fuck you, but I—“ His blush spread down his chest a bit further and he looked embarrassed as he tossed his jeans into the hamper and then stopped in front of Christian. “I kind of love it when you fuck me.” He stepped a little closer, reaching out to rest his hands on Christian’s waist as he stared into Christian’s eyes and murmured, “I haven’t topped with a guy in years, and I’m not gonna miss it as long as I’ve got you, I promise.”

Christian wrapped his arms around Dean automatically as he stared into Dean’s hazel eyes for a moment, taking in how calm and serious Dean looked, and then he finally said softly, “If that changes, I want you to tell me.”

Dean smiled. “It won’t, but okay.”

Christian returned the smile and kissed Dean tenderly, drawing the kiss out for several minutes before he finally pulled away. “We should get in the shower before I forget about it an’ we get the bed all dirty.”

Dean grinned. “Can’t have that,” he agreed, pushing Christian further into the bathroom and then closing the door behind them.

 

 


	3. Part Three

 

Dean was wrist-deep in carefully hand mixing the potato salad when the phone in his back pocket started to play a ringtone he had heard only twice since he got it.

_“I don't want to ball about like everybody else, and I don't want to live my life like everybody else, and I won't say that I feel fine like everybody else, 'cause I'm not like everybody else, I'm not like everybody else.”_

None of the three who might have Dean’s number would give it to anyone without asking him first, so hearing his ringtone for people he didn’t know wasn’t something that happened often, and when it did it was always a wrong number. He never gave out his number, and Jensen and Bobby were the only ones who had called him so far. Bobby was supposed to pass his number along to Sam if Sam wanted it, but Dean had Sam’s number and had given him a ringtone of his own so Dean would know instantly if Sam finally called him. 

“Can you get that and find out who it is for me?” Dean asked as he stopped what he was doing to look towards Christian, who was quickly slicing cabbage for the coleslaw. “My hands are kind of goopy.”

Dean could have stirred the salad together with a spoon, but that wasn’t nearly as much fun and it was harder to get exactly the right consistency. Using his hands, he could feel when he had enough mayo and mustard and when the potatoes were just the right mix of chunky and mashed. Sam had always made fun of him for mixing potato salad with his hands on the rare occasion he made it, but then the kid would put away as much as he could get of it so Dean figured he was doing something right. He had learned the technique from Kurt’s mom after he had tried her potato salad, and it never failed to turn out delicious.

“Sure,” Christian agreed, dropping his knife and wiping his hands on a towel as he moved to reach into Dean’s back pocket for the phone, which was repeating the same few lines of the song.

_“I don't want to ball about like everybody else, and I don't want to live my life like everybody else, and I won't say that I feel fine—“_

Dean watched interestedly as Christian flipped the phone open, curious who was calling. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, babe,” Christian said, amused and cheerful as he moved the phone to his ear. “Hello,” he added as he moved towards the cutting board to reach for the beer sitting by it.

Dean couldn’t hear the reply because of the loud television in the living room, where Steve and Jensen were watching _Independence Day_ , but the change in Christian’s expression was enough to tell him he probably wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.

Christian’s eyebrows went up as he turned back towards Dean, looking surprised as he said slowly, “This _is_ Dean’s phone, but he’s wrist-deep in potato salad right now. Who’s this?” He was quiet a moment more and then said, “He’ll need a minute to wash his hands, just a sec.” He moved the phone away from his mouth, looking at Dean as he said, “It’s your dad, or at least that’s what he says.”

Dean started wiping off his hands, trying not to look as worried as he was by that little bit of news. John had likely heard Christian call him ‘babe’ which wouldn’t do anything but set him off. “Did he say what he wants?”

Christian looked at him a second and then turned away slightly as he spoke into the phone again, and Dean moved towards the sink. “He wants to know what you need.” Christian was quiet for a moment and then said with more than a hint of heat, “Mister, you don’t know a damned thing about me. There’s no call for you to be callin’ me something like that.”

Dean looked quickly at Christian, his eyes widening as he decided that washing his hands wasn’t going to happen and moved quickly back to Christian to reach for the phone. If he ruined the phone with the mayo and mustard on his hands, he’d just get another one. He had the important numbers out of it in his wallet this time. He had lost every phone number he had when he smashed his last phone, and he didn’t intend to ever do that again.

“Oh hell no, don’t even _start_ in on him.” Christian handed Dean the towel instead of the phone, his frown darkening into a scowl. “I don’t care who you are, I’m not gonna listen to _anyone_ talk about Dean like that.”

Dean hurriedly wiped his hands and then held his right hand out towards Christian, frowning. “Give me the phone, Christian. I’ll handle him.”

“Fuck you, man, an’ the jackass you rode in on, too,” Christian said with a snort, then offered Dean the phone as he said, “You told me he could be an asshole, but damn.”

Dean winced slightly putting the phone to his ear without responding to Christian. “I’m here, Dad.”

“Who the hell was that,” John asked angrily, “and why did _he_ answer your phone?” He didn’t slur his words or anything to make it obvious he was drunk, but something about the way he spoke told Dean he was anyway. Dean had heard John’s voice when he had been drinking too often over the last ten years to ever forget what it sounded like.

“That was my new roommate,” Dean said calmly as he moved towards the back door, not letting himself react to John’s anger. He knew that if he did, it would only make John get cruel. If he acted calm and took whatever John wanted to throw at him, John would tire of the game more quickly and hang up on him. “And he _told you_ why he answered the phone, Dad. I was makin’ potato salad an’ my hands were all goopy.”

“Potato salad?” John repeated, sounding disgusted. “And what happened to that other guy you were shacked up with? Justin?”

“I happen to _like_ potato salad so I’m makin’ some to go with the barbecue we’re havin’ for dinner. And nothing happened to _Jensen_ ,” Dean corrected, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand as he closed his eyes. He could hear a big dog barking in the background, and the familiar sound of a rattling old tow truck with a souped-up engine approaching John’s end of the phone, which told him John was almost certainly at Bobby’s. “I just got tired of wakin’ up every time a car went by his place at night or some asshole decided to fire off his pistol at a neighbor at four in the mornin’. Christian lives out in the boonies and has a second bedroom nobody’s been usin’, and we get along good, so I moved in with him.” Or he would, at least, as soon as they dragged themselves into town long enough to go get his stuff. He was already sleeping at Christian’s place, so he figured that was close enough.

John snorted and then asked derisively, “Are you hand-washing his _shorts_ , too, or just doing the cooking?”

Dean tried to hide how the tone of John’s voice hurt as he forced himself to sound calm and bored, asking, “Did you want something, Dad, or did you just call to remind me you’re still pissed at me for not bein’ the perfect son you wanted?”

“I called because I wanted your help,” John said, sounding disgusted, “but now I don’t want to even _look_ at you. I’ll find someone else.” He hung up without giving Dean a chance to reply, just as Dean heard Bobby’s annoyed voice asking who John was talking to.

Dean sighed and closed the phone, just standing there and staring at the floor as he tried to convince himself he didn’t care what John thought. It didn’t work, of course. No matter what had gone on between them, John was still his dad, and it wasn’t easy to know John thought so little of him. He knew it without needing to talk to John to make sure of it, but hearing the disgust in his dad’s voice still felt worse than a knife to the chest would have. He had been stabbed before, so he knew that for a fact.

Christian’s hands settled on Dean’s shoulders then as Christian moved in close behind him and murmured gently, “You okay, babe?”

Dean nodded, turning his head to give Christian a slightly forced smile. “Yeah. He’s been pretty disgusted with me for over a year now.” He paused and then added more quietly, “Ever since he drove past me on a street corner in Seattle.” He smiled crookedly at Christian. “It wasn’t the first time he saw me hookin’, but that time he had seen me win a few hundred dollars hustlin’ pool the day before, so he knew I wasn’t broke.” He was silent again for a moment and then added, “Not sidin’ with Dad against Sam when he started college in January didn’t help any, and then when I was leavin’ to take Sam to school I dropped the bomb that I was gonna quit huntin’ ‘cause I had made a promise to Sam. When I moved in with Jen he stopped talkin’ to me altogether unless he’s drunk. Then he calls just to tell me how fucked up I am and how selfish it is for me to sit on my ass instead of helpin’ him an’ Bobby.”

Christian moved to put his arms around Dean, pulling him close and he kissed Dean’s temple softly and then murmured, “I’m sorry he’s such an asshole to you.”

Dean turned the rest of the way to wrap his arms around Christian, hiding his face against Christian’s neck just below his ear. He stood there just inhaling the clean scent of Christian’s skin for a minute or two before he finally said very quietly, “I’m kind of used to it. It’s been a long time since he found out I’m not the perfect son he wants me to be.”

“Dean, are you okay?” Jensen asked quietly then, sounding concerned.

Dean pulled away from Christian, flushing as he looked at Jensen, who was standing at the end of the breakfast bar and frowning slightly. Letting Christian see how John’s scorn hurt him was one thing, but it was kind of embarrassing for anyone else to see him so vulnerable, even if it was Jensen. The fact Dean had no idea how long Jensen had been there made it even worse. “Yeah, Jen, I’m fine.” He lifted the phone he was still holding and said simply, “Dad called.”

Jensen’s frown shifted into a scowl as he moved towards Dean. “I thought you weren’t giving him your new number?”

“I didn’t,” Dean said quickly, feeling his face heat up more as he admitted, “but I told Bobby he could, if he thought Dad needed it.”

Jensen sighed, looking unhappy as he stopped near Dean and Christian. “Dean, you can’t keep letting him walk back into your life. Last time you saw him, he beat you up so bad you couldn’t see out of one eye for almost a _week_ and you had two broken ribs, and we both know he probably would have done a lot worse if Sam hadn’t grabbed your gun out of the car and forced him to leave.”

“Worthless bastard,” Christian growled, and Dean looked quickly at him to see Christian looked downright murderous, his blue eyes hard and cold. “There ain’t no excuse for beatin’ up his own kid, I don’t care how old you are or _what_ you did. You’re not goin’ _near_ him again unless I’m with you, Dean.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed quietly, reaching out to take Christian’s hand. “But he won’t be beatin’ me up again anyway. Bobby told him he’ll hunt him down like a rabid dog the next time he hits me or Sam, and Dad knows Bobby would do it just as well as I do.”

Dean’s phone began to play music again before Christian or Jensen could say anything to that, playing only a few familiar notes of _Simple Man_ before Dean flipped the phone open. He had expected the call before too long, which was why he hadn’t put his cell away yet. “Hey Bobby.”

“Son, are you okay?” Bobby asked, concerned. “Did you have a run in with a witch again? Your daddy just stormed out of here rantin’ and ravin’ about you shackin’ up with some guy that turned you into a woman.”

Dean sighed, still holding Christian’s hand but not looking at him or Jensen. “I’m fine, Bobby, and definitely still a guy. He’s just bein’ an asshole, it’s nothin’ to worry about.”

Bobby was quiet for a moment and then asked slowly, “Did your boyfriend _really_ answer your phone ‘cause you were cookin’ him dinner?”

“Not exactly,” Dean said with a soft snort. “I was makin’ potato salad and had goop all over my hands, but my new roommate was just slicin’ cabbage for coleslaw, so I asked him to answer my phone. He said hello and Dad freaked out on him for no reason.”

“Your new _roommate_?” Bobby asked, suddenly amused. “Do you seriously expect me to believe that line of bull, son?”

Dean flushed, smiling slightly despite everything. “It was worth a try.”

Bobby let out a snort of laughter. “Not hardly.” He paused and then asked, “Did your dad scare him off?”

Dean let out a little laugh of his own, looking at Christian, who was leaning close enough that Dean realized suddenly he could probably hear the whole conversation. “No, Christian kind of wants to hit him now.”

Christian snorted, but he was smiling. “Christian kinda wants to _kill_ the asshole now.”

Jensen snickered at that, moving away from Dean and Christian to the fridge as he said loudly enough that Bobby was sure to hear, “With vigor and determination.”

“Oh yeah,” Christian agreed immediately. “Beatin’ him to death with my bare hands is soundin’ _real_ good.”

Bobby laughed. “It’s about time.”

Dean blinked, surprised. “About time for what?”

“For you to have somebody that gives a damn about you again,” Bobby said gruffly, sounding pleased. “It’s been a long time since you left that kid in Ohio.”

Dean was very quiet for a long moment and then asked slowly, “You knew about Puck?”

“Son, even if I hadn’t figured it out for myself from the way he tore into John or how you acted when you got to my place that summer, your dad told me before you even left the kid,” Bobby replied. “Whenever he gets drunk I can pretty much count on him bringin’ it up to ask me what he did wrong that turned you into a fag, an’ your daddy’s been gettin’ drunk a lot.”

Dean flinched at that, looking down only to jerk his gaze up again in surprise when Christian said firmly, “He did a hell of a lot wrong from what I’ve heard, but there ain’t a damned thing wrong with _you_ , babe.”

“Listen to him, boy,” Bobby said quickly. “I was just repeatin’ what John asks me, not sayin’ somethin’ I believe. You _know_ me and John ain’t seen eye to eye about you in years. I’m damned proud of you, no matter who you go home with. The way I see it that ain’t nobody’s business but yours.”

“I know,” Dean agreed, still staring at Christian. He wasn’t sure which one he was answering, but he didn’t think it really mattered. They both needed the same answer, even though he didn’t really believe either of them. He believed _they_ believed what they were saying, but Dean knew he was all kinds of screwed up, and always would be. He didn’t think anyone could live like he had lived and _not_ be utterly screwed up.

“You’d better, boy,” Bobby said gruffly, and then he changed the subject abruptly, something Dean had long ago grown used to whenever Bobby was feeling uncomfortable with how a conversation was going. “Makin’ coleslaw an’ potato salad, huh?”

“Yeah, we got friends comin’ over for a barbecue,” Dean said as he noticed Jensen moving back towards him with a bottle of cold water. Jensen was actually the only person who would be there that Dean really knew, but he didn’t mind. He hadn’t let himself make any friends in LA, so he had no one else to invite. “There’s brisket and ribs in the smoker, steaks for the grill, beans in the oven, and mac an’ cheese is next on the list once we get the salads in the fridge.”

Bobby laughed, sounding surprised as he said, “Damn, boy. You an’ that guy of yours are goin’ all out.”

“We’re celebratin’ him movin’ in, Bobby,” Christian said, making Dean look at him in surprise. Christian leaned to kiss Dean and then headed back over to the counter to finish the coleslaw as he added, “An’ we’ve got corn on the cob to toss on the grill, too.”

“Breathe, Dean.” Jensen snickered and patted Dean’s shoulder as he leaned in close to the phone. “You take care, Bobby.”

“I will, Jensen,” Bobby called a little louder than usual. “You do the same.”

“Always,” Jensen said cheerfully as he headed back into the living room with his water.

Dean just stared at Christian for a moment longer before he asked Bobby quietly, “What was Dad goin’ after that he needed my help with?”

Bobby snorted. “Nothin’. The damn fool was snoopin’ while I was off towin’ in a friend’s car, an’ he found my notebook with phone numbers in it. If he told you he needed your help, it was just an excuse to get you to leave Jensen. He’s been sittin’ around here on his ass for two weeks, drinkin’ all my whiskey an’ waitin’ for me to find him somethin’ to chase.”

Dean moved towards the fridge to get a root beer. “So you didn’t give him my number?”

Bobby was quiet while Dean got a can and opened it, and Dean was just starting to wonder if Bobby was going to answer at all when Bobby finally said quietly, “Son, I don’t want him talkin’ to you _or_ knowin’ where you are right now, so I hope you didn’t tell him.  If he does show up, I want you to go for a gun first and say hello later, you hear me?”

Dean closed his eyes, swallowing hard. “That bad?”

“Worse,” Bobby admitted gruffly. “He’s a mean drunk these days, and I haven’t seen him sober in months. It’s killin’ him that he couldn’t make you boys do what he wants you to, an’ he’s takin’ it out on anyone that looks at him funny. With he way he’s been treatin’ you the last few years, I don’t want him near you. He knows you’ll just let him beat the shit out of you unless someone else stops him, an’ you trust him way too much for my peace of mind.”

“Why are you lettin’ him stay with you, then?” Dean asked quietly, looking down at his root beer.

“’Cause no matter how much of a bastard he is now, he used to be the best friend I ever had,” Bobby replied, sounding sad and a little gruff. “Your daddy ain’t nothin’ like he was before Mary died an’ took the best parts of him with her, or hell, even the man he was ten years ago.” He paused and then added, “You remind me of him some, but not near as much as Sam does. He’s the spittin’ image of John when he was your age, inside and out.”

“Dad always has said I look like Mom,” Dean murmured, watching as Christian began mixing the dressing he had just made into shredded cabbage.

“You do,” Bobby agreed, “but it ain’t just your looks that reminds him of her. You got your momma’s temperament, too, and the same damned tendency to put what everyone you care about wants in front of what you need for yourself.”

“I’m tryin’, Bobby,” Dean said softly, watching Christian stir the coleslaw. “After twenty years of runnin’ the other way as soon as I found anything I really wanted it’s been hard to stop, but I’m doin’ my best.”

Christian turned his head to look at Dean, his hands going still. “You try runnin’ from me, babe, and I’ll just have to go after you.”

Dean smiled at Christian, blushing just a bit and feeling pleased. “I’m not gonna do that to you.”

Christian smirked a bit, looking smug. “Good.” He turned back to the coleslaw. “’Cause I ain’t givin’ you up without a fight. You need someone to watch your back, an’ I kinda want the job.”

Dean chuckled softly and then quieted in surprise as Bobby said gruffly, “You better stay with him, boy.”

“I’m going to, Bobby,” Dean said, smiling. “Even though you might not be sayin’ that if you knew how long I’ve known him.”

Christian snickered at that but didn’t say anything, moving to the sink to rinse his hands and clean up his cutting board and knife.

Bobby was quiet for a minute or two and then said slowly, “You said his name’s Christian, so I know he ain’t that boy from Ohio.” He paused again and then asked, “How long?”

“It’s been right at twenty-four hours since the first time I set eyes on him,” Dean admitted, feeling a little sheepish.

“More like sixteen since we actually said anything, babe,” Christian pointed out, looking over his shoulder at Dean with a smirk. “Starin’ at each other across the studio an’ then chickenin’ out on sayin’ hello don’t count as meetin’ you in my book.”

Bobby was quiet for a moment and then let out a low snort of a laugh. “That is pretty damned fast, but I’m nobody to judge. I met Karen at a party an’ three days later we got married.”

Dean let out a surprised laugh. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Bobby said, chuckling slightly even thought something about his tone gave away how it hurt to think about his long-dead wife. “I was fresh out of the service and picked her up at a party the legion hall gave for all us boys. We hit it off so well I ended up takin’ her home with me, an’ I got her the ring and made an honest woman out of her as soon as we could drag ourselves outta the house again. Her daddy was pissed as hell and wanted to shoot me, but her momma was on our side, so Judge Rogers was willin’ to marry us without her dad’s say-so even though she wasn’t quite eighteen yet.” He paused then, and all of the amusement was gone from his voice as he added more quietly, “Her daddy never did like me much, and it only got worse later on.”

Dean changed the subject slightly so Bobby wouldn’t have to talk about Karen anymore. “Well, I’m not gettin’ married anytime soon, but we’re goin’ into town and movin’ my stuff out to his place on Monday.”

“Good,” Bobby said gruffly. “You need to be with somebody who’ll make you happy, son. If he’s doin’ that, then hold on tight no matter what anyone else has to say about it.”

“I will, Bobby,” Dean agreed, kind of surprised. “Thanks.”

Bobby was quiet a moment and then half-asked, “You said he lives out of town?”

“Yeah, he’s got a nice little place in the hills with some land and a couple horses,” Dean answered, smiling as he shifted to lean against the counter, looking down.

“Horses, huh?” Bobby asked, amused. “You talked him into teachin’ you how to ride one of ‘em yet?”

Dean laughed, blushing. “Yeah, after breakfast this mornin’. It was all kinds of awesome. He’s got a mustang mare he’s trained half to death, and she’s a hell of a lot of fun to ride.”

Bobby chuckled. “’Bout time you did more ’n pet a horse. You started sneakin’ apples to the neighbor’s old plowhorse when you were what, five?”

“Must not have been sneaky enough,” Dean pointed out. “Not if you knew I was doin’ it.”

“I followed you a few times when you were little,” Bobby said, amused. “I didn’t know where you were sneakin’ off to so careful an’ quiet before Sam was up every mornin’, an’ it got me curious.”

“I snuck out because Dad didn’t like it,” Dean admitted quietly. “He caught me pettin’ a horse behind a motel a couple days after Mom died and gave me hell about it. Said he didn’t wanna catch me near a horse again or he’d tan my hide.”

Christian growled something under his breath that Dean couldn’t make out then, but he didn’t need to. He could guess how Christian would feel about John not wanting Dean to mess with horses despite the fact he had loved horses as long as he could remember. He vaguely remembered his mother taking him to see a shaggy black horse with a white face a few times when he was little, long before Sam was born, but he didn’t really remember anything more than being with her and a horse that had seemed as big as an elephant to him.

Bobby sighed. “I’m sorry, son. I shoulda taken you boys from your daddy when I found out he had been leavin’ you on your own to take care of Sammy, but sometimes when he was with you boys I could see the man he used to be. I kept hopin’ that havin’ you near him would pull him out of it.”

“He wouldn’t have let you take us,” Dean said, shrugging a bit even though Bobby couldn’t see him. He stared at the floor, not looking up even when he heard Christian move towards the fridge, and after a moment he added, “You know how he is, he’d have done somethin’ stupid if you tried. He didn’t wanna look at us half the time ‘cause we reminded him so much of Mom, but he didn’t want us spendin’ too much time with anyone else, either. Not until I was in high school, anyway. After I dropped out he stuck around more, but that only lasted for a year or so.”

John hadn’t talked to Dean for nearly two months after he drove by Dean on a street corner for the first time when Dean was twenty. Dean figured that it had been obvious enough why he was there that John couldn’t take it as anything other than what it was, which was why John had never asked him about it. John had been on his way home from a hunt, and Dean had been standing on a street corner selling his ass to feed himself and his baby brother because he’d had a bad night playing poker and lost every dollar he had. It had been a hard lesson for Dean, who loved a good game of poker, but he had never bet all he had again, no matter how good he thought his hand was.

“He was hopin’ he was wrong about you an’ Puck,” Bobby admitted, quiet and sounding a little sad. “He thought maybe if he stuck close you’d forget about it, but he gave up after he found out that probably wasn’t gonna happen.”

Dean sighed, closing his eyes as he asked very softly, “Did he tell you what happened?”

“Yeah, son, he did,” Bobby said, quiet and sad. “I’m not gonna judge you for it, I know you were doin’ whatever you had to do to survive. John though, he couldn’t take it. He knows as well as I do that you’ll do _anything_ to take care of Sam, and he hated himself more ‘n a little when he realized that likely wasn’t the first time you got that desperate for cash. He had nightmares about it for a long time.” He paused and then added, “He blamed himself, y’know. Leavin’ you broke all the time with Sammy to take care of. It deviled him that he had pushed you into…  well, doin’ that.”

Dean snorted slightly. “He may have told you that, but he never showed it to me, and he didn’t start givin’ me more money after he found out how I was makin’ ends meet when the rent was due and hustlin’ pool didn’t cut it. ”

Christian made a low annoyed noise. “Worthless bastard.” Dean looked over at Christian to see he was standing at the counter with a metal grater, shredding some deep golden cheese Dean figured was likely cheddar. “There’s just no excuse for some of the shit he let you go through, babe.”

“You told Christian about it?” Bobby asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I did,” Dean said, still watching Christian grating the cheese. “I’m not gonna be keepin’ any secrets from him, Bobby, an’ that was somethin’ about me he needed to know before either of us got too attached.”

Bobby was quiet for a few moments and then said slowly, “I feel like I oughta tell you not to trust a stranger with so much, son, but I’m not gonna do it. If you’re gonna build anything that lasts, there ain’t gonna be no room for lies.”

Dean smiled. “I know. You didn’t do it often, but I always paid attention when Sam told you about me an’ some girl so you would give me lectures about how to treat somebody I really cared about.” He let out a little laugh, adding, “Even though I never found a _girl_ I wanted to keep like I was supposed to. I figure most of it works about the same for anyone though, except maybe the part about anniversaries and buyin’ flowers. Christian’d likely rather have a decent bacon cheeseburger and a beer, or maybe a big ol’ porterhouse from whatever passes for a decent steakhouse in LA.”

Christian let out a little snort of a laugh. “So true.”

“Well, you learned somethin’ good from me, at least,” Bobby said gruffly.

“I learned a _lot_ good from you,” Dean said quietly. “More ‘n I ever learned from Dad. He made me a fighter, Bobby, but you made sure I always knew somebody gives a damn about me, no matter how screwed up I could get.”

“I’m glad,” Bobby said simply, still gruff and sounding just a little choked up. “I better let you go, son. You got cookin’ to do.”

“I do,” Dean agreed softly, sure Bobby just needed to end the conversation and not really minding it. He wasn’t any more of a fan of talking about his feelings than Bobby was, no matter how often he seemed to blunder his way into situations where he felt like he had to. “You call if you need me.”

“Need _us_ ,” Christian corrected, making Dean look at him again in surprise. Christian glanced at Dean, unwrapping a small block of what looked like pepperjack cheese as he added, “I’m goin’ wherever you go, babe.” He lowered his voice, adding softly, “And I been huntin’ with my dad an’ granddad since I was five. I can handle a gun when I need to.”

“Us, then,” Dean said to Bobby, smiling at Christian, who grinned and then looked back down at the cheese to begin grating the pepperjack into the bowl with the rest. “Jen and Steve won’t mind feedin’ the horses for a few days if you need help.”

Christian snickered. “Yeah, even if they can’t get near Lady. They can dump her bucket an’ just leave Cisco up until they’re both done.”

“Don’t you worry about me, boy,” Bobby said, sounding pleased. “Take time to be happy for a change, an’ enjoy them horses an’ that guy of yours. I’ll check in on you in a week or so and let you know how things are goin’ with Sam. I haven’t talked to him recent, but he said he’d call this weekend sometime so I figure he’ll remember eventually.”

“Alright, Bobby,” Dean agreed, closing his eyes at the reminder Sam didn’t really talk to him anymore. Bobby had kept Dean updated on Sam so Dean knew he was doing really well in school so far, but that was nothing less than Dean had expected. “Take care.”

“Talk to you then, son,” Bobby said, and then he hung up.

Dean closed his cell, checking the battery readout and then tucking the phone into his back pocket as he moved towards the potato salad, which was still on the breakfast bar waiting for him to finish it. He wasn’t even sure anymore what he and Sam had argued about, not really, but he knew Sam wanted him to leave him alone so he did. Sam had said if Dean called him just one more time he’d never speak to him again, but Dean had been sure Sam would come around eventually if he did like Sam asked. He had told Sam to call if he ever wanted to talk, and hadn’t heard from him since.

It had been eight months and three days since Dean had heard Sam’s voice, and he was finally starting to lose hope that Sam would forgive him.

 

~*~

 

Christian was just putting the macaroni and cheese in the oven when he heard the front door open and then someone called cheerfully, “Hi, honey, I’m home!”

Christian laughed and moved towards the fridge to grab a beer as he called, “You’re late! Get in here an’ do somethin’ useful.”

David breezed into sight a moment later, grinning widely as he dropped onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “Hell no, it’s my day off. _You_ do something useful, like giving me that beer. And I’m staying with you tonight, so keep ‘em coming.”

Christian snickered and turned halfway away from David, pretending to protect the beer. “I ain’t gonna share if you’re gonna be like that, Dave.”

“I’m gonna go see if Jen an’ Steve need any help,” Dean said suddenly, moving towards the back door as Christian looked at him in surprise. Dean was smiling but his eyes were almost pained as he added, “Nice meetin’ you, David.”

David laughed slightly, sounding surprised. “I’d like to say the same, but I have no clue who you are.”

Dean paused at the back door, looking at David while Christian watched Dean with concern. Dean had been kind of quiet since he talked to Bobby, but Christian had taken a moment to kiss Dean and talk to him twice since then and both times Dean had seemed like he was doing pretty good, so seeing what Christian was sure was a faked smile was worrying.

“Dean Winchester,” Dean said to David, still smiling slightly even though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Dave Boreanaz,” David replied, and a glance at him was enough to tell Christian that David was a bit confused by how Dean was acting. “You look kinda familiar, have we met before? Gone to the same parties, maybe?”

Christian sympathized completely with how confused David looked as he turned back to Dean, wondering if Dean was still upset about his dad calling or if it was something more. Dean wouldn’t meet his gaze, so Christian couldn’t be sure, but the way Dean was acting made Christian feel like maybe _he_ had done something wrong.

Dean was blushing as his chin lifted slightly, almost as if he expected someone to tear into him again, but Christian had no idea why Dean might expect that from David. David was a nice guy and he didn’t know Dean well enough to get annoyed at him yet. “You might’ve seen me at the studio,” Dean admitted. “I tried out as an extra the other day.”

David let out a surprised laugh. “You were the rentboy Joss really liked because you had all the moves down pat! The one Lloyd was all over.” He grinned at Dean. “Joss was impressed by you even though they wanted a kid. You almost got the part anyway because you were such a convincing whore.”

Christian winced, sure that was exactly the wrong thing to say, but before he could say anything to try and soften it, Dean was turning towards the back door as he opened it. “That's me, yeah,” Dean agreed, and then he was gone.

“Why do I have the feeling I missed half that conversation somehow?” David asked, confused but not looking upset about it.

Christian turned to walk over and give David the beer before he looked towards the back door again, worried. “Maybe ‘cause Dean says a lot without ever openin’ his mouth.”

“Oh man, don’t start with the riddles,” David complained, and Christian looked back towards him in surprise. “I hate when you do that. I _always_ end up wondering what the hell you meant.”

“Sorry, Dave,” Christian said, feeling a bit sheepish. “It’s been a really long weekend.”

David blinked, laughing slightly. “Chris, it’s not even three yet, and this is just _Saturday_.”

Christian let out a snort of a laugh, moving to grab his own beer and then turning to lean against the counter and give David a wry smile. “Well, yeah, but it still seems like yesterday was a hell of a long time ago.”

David’s eyebrows went up. “Have you been having that much fun, or was it just that bad?”

Christian didn’t even have to think about his answer. “That good. I got somethin’ I didn’t even know I wanted until I already had it.”

David blinked, his eyebrows still up as he said slowly, “And Dean’s part of it.”

Christian nodded and took a sip of his beer, not quite trusting himself to speak.

“Or maybe Dean _is_ it,” David said more quietly, still looking surprised.

“Kind of, yeah,” Christian admitted. “He’s movin’ in.”

David frowned. “How long have you known him?”

Christian sighed. “You ain’t gonna like the answer.”

“So tell me anyway,” David said, taking a drink of his beer.

“About a day,” Christian said after a long moment, then he saw the way David’s frown was turning alarmed and he added quickly, “but I ain’t got any doubts about him, Dave, so don’t start. I want him here, and he wants to be with me, so he’s stayin’.”

David was still frowning and looking surprised and worried as he said, “Besides the whole thing where he’s a guy – and you are _so_ coming clean about _that_ , buddy! – there’s the inherent _crazy_ in letting anyone move into your home _the day after you_ _met him_. He could be a creepy stalker fan or something.”

“He’s not, he watches ‘ _Buffy’_ but he's never even seen our show,” Christian said quietly, not really at all surprised by David’s reaction. “He had no clue who I am until Stevie and his buddy Jensen told him, an’ even then he wasn’t impressed. He only tried out for the part because Jensen talked him into it an’ he figured it’d be easy cash. He wasn’t tryin’ to get close to me.”

“Still, isn’t that awfully fast, Chris?” David asked, concerned. “You don’t know anything about him.”

“I know enough,” Christian disagreed. “Just, trust me on this one, okay Dave? I know it’s fast, an’ stupid, and all _kinds_ of crazy, but I think I’m fallin’ in love with him, so I’d _really_ appreciate it if you’d try an’ give him a chance.”

David stared at Christian for a long moment and then said softly, “In love? Seriously? _You_?”

Christian felt his face heating up and he looked away from David, staring down at his beer as he began to pick at the label. He knew why David was so shocked, besides the whole thing with Dean being a guy he met the day before. Just a week ago Christian would have laughed in the face of anyone who suggested he might fall in love with _anyone_ he took home, and David had teased him often about screwing so many women without even learning their names, much less having any feelings for them. David was a romantic that fell a little in love with every girl he dated, and it didn’t surprise Christian that he just couldn’t wrap his brain around living like Christian had been for the last few years.

“Yeah. I _know_ , really,” Christian said finally, still not looking at David. “I just…” He took a slow breath and then admitted, “Now that I know him, I can’t see me bein’ happy without him around. He’s everything I ever wanted an’ a whole lot more I never knew I’d like near as much as I’m findin’ out I do. I never felt like this about _anyone_ except maybe Michelle, an’ I’m not sure even she compares. I loved her a lot more than was really smart, but I knew her for _months_ before I fell for her. I was already gettin’ in over my head when I got Dean home last night, an’ everything since then has just pulled me in so deep I don’t even know which way’s up any more.”

“Wow,” David murmured, and Christian risked a glance at him to see David looked surprised and a little sad, which made Christian frown slightly in confusion. David seemed to take the frown the wrong way as he said hurriedly, “Don’t look at me like that, man. Anything that makes you happy is _fine_ by me, I’m just surprised is all. I always thought we were pretty close, but you _never_ said anything about being into guys.”

Christian looked down and lifted his free hand to run it through his hair, feeling suddenly sheepish as he admitted, “I was kinda afraid to say or do anything about it. Stevie knew somehow before I hardly even admitted it to myself, but I never told him an’ I never asked how he figured it out. I mean, hell, I never even _tried_ pickin’ up a guy until last night, an’ I would’ve chickened out with Dean if Stevie hadn’t been so damned determined to make me go for it once he saw me an’ Dean checkin’ each other out. I wouldn’t say anything at the studio, so Stevie went outside an’ grabbed Dean on his way out to tell him to come to our gig. I was still gonna run even after Dean showed up, but Stevie fussed at me until I agreed to at least talk to him, an’ then once I did I was toast. Now that I know him there ain’t no goin’ back, an’ I don’t even _want_ to, but it still scares the shit out of me.” He looked at David again, adding quietly, “Mostly ‘cause it’d kill my dad if he found out.”

“Then don’t tell him,” David said promptly, letting out a little laugh even though he looked surprised.

“I’m not gonna,” Christian said quickly. “Not _ever_. But I’m not the only one around here he talks to.”

David stared at Christian for a moment and then frowned. “Chris, _I’m_ not going to tell him something like that. Not unless you ask me to. I _never_ tell him the stuff you don’t want him knowing.”

Christian blinked. “Like…?”

“Like the fact you say you live with Stevie, but he’s _never_ here even though you promised you’d live with him so your mom wouldn’t worry about you so much,” David pointed out, “or that you’re almost through with _Angel_ and haven’t lined up any more work yet except a bit part in some C-list movie that’s _way_ beneath you, or how many _groupies_ you’ve taken home this year, or the fact I _never_ see you use a helmet on that bike of yours, or a million other things you do _every day_ that would give him and your mom _both_ heart failure.”

Christian let out a little laugh, suddenly feeling sheepish and so relieved it was scary as he blushed and muttered, “I should’ve known that.”

“Yeah, you should,” David agreed with a sudden smile. “I know I play tall dark and stupid on television, but I thought you knew it was just the _character_.”

Christian snickered. “I dunno, man. Sometimes those women you date make me wonder.”

“At least I don’t tell them to move in after one night,” David said with a snort, grinning. “And I don’t make them look like Dean did when he walked out, either. I don’t know what you did just before I walked in, but whatever it was, it was _so_ wrong.”

“I figured that much out for myself,” Christian agreed, his amusement fading away at the reminder. “But I dunno what I did either. I mean, I had just stopped an’ talked to him ‘cause he wanted me to taste the potato salad, and then we kissed some, and everything was fine then. I went to put the mac an’ cheese in the oven while he was puttin’ away the potato salad, an’ then you walked in, and the next time I looked at him he was unhappy.”

“Huh.” David thought about it a moment and then his eyes widened a bit and he asked suddenly, “Does he know we’re just friends?”

“I told him you’re my best friend besides Stevie,” Christian said, nodding. “An’ he knew you’d be here soon. He even knew I didn’t want to do anything in front of you until I had time to tell you about him, an’ he was fine with that.”

“Yeah, but then I walked in calling you honey,” David pointed out.

“That don’t mean nothing,” Christian scoffed. “You were just playin’ around.”

David added patiently, “Yeah, but I also said I was staying with you tonight.”

Christian blinked. “You _always_ stay after we barbeque, just like half the other guys do. I ain’t about to let any of you drive home drunk, an’ I ain’t stayin’ sober enough to play taxi. It won’t be the first time you sacked out on the floor in the livin’ room. That’s why we got that extra futon in Stevie’s closet.”

David rolled his eyes. “I know that, and you know that, but does _Dean_?”

Christian’s eyes widened as it finally dawned on him what David had been hinting at. Dean knew that David didn’t know Christian was bisexual, and that Christian had been worried how David would accept his relationship with Dean, but Christian suddenly realized he hadn’t told Dean that David was one of the straightest men he knew. Dean didn’t know anything about Christian’s relationship with David because Christian hadn’t really _told him_ anything beyond the fact David was his best friend besides Steve. If Dean had taken David’s teasing as _flirting_ , then it completely explained how upset Dean had been as he walked out. “Shit.”

David let out a little snort of a laugh. “Yeah, shit, dumbass.”

Christian stared at David a moment longer and then put down his beer and started for the front door. “Watch the food, man. I gotta go talk to him.”

“What am I watching?” David asked, surprised and sounding a little panicked. “You know I can’t cook!”

“Just, if the oven starts spittin’ out smoke, lean out the front door and holler,” Christian said with a dismissive wave. “It’ll all be fine as long as the pans don’t bubble over.” He didn’t give David a chance to say anything else, walking quickly out the front door and then leaping lightly off the porch without bothering with the steps.

Steve and Jensen were at the folding table by the smoker, working together as they sauced the ribs and wrapped them in foil to cook the rest of the way, but Dean was nowhere to be seen even though he had said he was going to help them. That just made it even more obvious Dean was really upset, and Christian kicked himself for not stopping Dean before he walked out. The Impala was still there so Dean hadn’t gone far, and Dean had mentioned that he used to spend time with a neighbor’s mare when he needed peace while he was in high school, so Christian hoped he would find Dean with the horses.

Jensen looked up at the sound of the door closing hard behind Christian. “What’s wrong?”

“You seen Dean?” Christian asked instead of answering Jensen’s question, crossing the yard.

“He just went in the barn a few minutes ago,” Jensen said, frowning slightly.

“He whistled for Cisco after he got in there,” Steve added. “What’s going on?”

“Nothin’ you two need to worry about,” Christian said, walking a little faster towards the barn. “Y’all go back to what you were doing.”

Jensen snorted. “You’re so not getting away that easy. Dean tried to hide it, but he was upset when he came out here.”

Christian looked at Jensen for a second and then back towards the barn as he said, “Yeah, well, I’m gonna fix that.”

“You’d better,” Jensen said firmly, going back to wrapping the ribs as he added, “You can grab another rack, Steve.”

Christian glanced at them, seeing the concerned expression on Steve’s face for only a moment before Steve turned to do as Jensen had suggested, and then Christian was too close to the barn to see them at all. He opened the gate, frowning a bit when he saw Dean wasn’t in the barn, and then he stepped inside and shut the gate behind him before he walked quickly to the back of the barn. He turned to the right to walk around the side, stopping at the corner when he saw Dean and Cisco.

Cisco was standing with his head over Dean’s shoulder, and Dean had his face against the colt’s neck as he just stood and held on to him. Something about the set of Dean’s shoulders and the way he stood was enough to tell Christian that Dean was upset, and he mentally kicked himself for hurting Dean yet again. He seemed to be good at that, and he hated it more than a little.

 

~*~

 

Dean was leaning against Cisco, breathing in the scent of dry grass and dirt mingled with the smell of sweaty horse as he silently lectured himself.

Christian had said David didn’t even know he was bi, so there was no way they were screwing around no matter how much the way they greeted each other had sounded like flirting. Just the thought of Christian hooking up with David filled him with tangled blend of pain, fear, and white-hot jealousy that made him feel like he might rattle apart. Even so, a large part of him was sure he was just being stupid and _way_ too fucking girly, standing there cuddling with a horse and closer to tears than he’d like to admit over nothing, but he’d had a really rough day and he just couldn’t help it.

Cisco shifted slightly and then Dean felt arms slide around his waist as Christian pressed close to his back, kissing the nape of his neck before Christian murmured, “I’m sorry, baby.”

Dean swallowed hard and closed his eyes, letting go of Cisco’s neck to lean back into Christian’s arms as he asked softly, “What for?”

“For upsettin’ you,” Christian murmured, his lips brushing against Dean’s cheek. “For makin’ you feel like you’re feelin’ right now. Dave had to explain it to me before it dawned on me you might have taken the stuff he said wrong.”

Dean tilted his head towards Christian’s slightly without opening his eyes, feeling stupid as he whispered, “I’m such a fuckin’ _girl_ over you, it’s sad.” Christian kissed his temple softly, his arms tightening around Dean’s waist as Dean added, “Part of me just _knows_ there’s no reason for me to be worryin’, but when I saw how you lit up when David walked in it was like bein’ punched in the gut, and then I remembered I’m just your friend while he’s around an’ all I wanted to do was run.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Christian repeated, his lips brushing against Dean’s cheek. “An’ you don’t have to worry about any of that bein’ careful shit. Dave’s not gonna be a problem.”

“You got other friends comin’, though,” Dean pointed out softly. “Any of ‘em could talk in front of the wrong person and make trouble for you if I screw up.”

“I don’t care if they do,” Christian said quietly, holding Dean a little tighter. “I can trust Jerry, Tim, Jason, an’ Craig, and I’m not gonna hide in my own house from anyone they bring with ‘em. David, Charisma, an’ even Joss will back me up if I have to put down any rumors, an’ Melissa, Kayla, Lisa, an’ Denise all know for sure that I’m not gay.”

“Who’re Melissa, Lisa, and Denise?” Dean asked, half afraid of the answer. He remembered Kayla from the club the night before, though he was kind of unhappy to realize she was a girl Christian had fucked at some point, not just a fan.

Christian didn’t hesitate to answer, even though from his tone Dean got the feeling he didn’t really want to talk about it. “Melissa plays with the band sometimes, she might come today if she ever checked her phone an’ found the message Stevie left her last night. Me an’ her hooked up right after we met, but we only had sex once before she told me she wanted serious or nothin’ at all with me, so I went home. We never went out again, but she’s a pretty good friend of Stevie’s so we still run into each other a lot. She’s cool, though, she won’t make trouble for me.”

“And the other two?” Dean asked softly.

“Lisa an’ Denise were behind the club last night,” Christian murmured. “Denise is the redhead an’ Lisa’s the other blonde that was with Kayla, they’re fraternal twins. I hooked up with them a while back an’ they can testify in court I’m not gay without havin’ to lie for me.”

Dean was silent for a moment before he asked, “All three of them?”

“Stevie was there too,” Christian admitted quietly. “He was too busy with Lisa to care what I was doin’ with Denise an’ Kayla, but we were all in the same room most of the night. We’d had way too much to drink after a gig and ended up at Denise an’ Kayla’s place, and we didn’t make it much past the front door before clothes started flyin’. I woke up the next day in Denise an’ Kayla’s bed with them, but Stevie slept on the futon in the livin’ room with Lisa.”

Dean could almost see Christian with Kayla and Denise, and it kind of shocked him how much he hated the idea. He had never been the jealous type, not even with Puck, but it seemed like that wasn’t even a little true when it came to Christian. He swallowed hard after a few moments, realizing he owed it to Christian to tell him what he was thinking, and why he had gotten so upset. Christian was being honest with him, and he couldn’t do any less. “It’s kinda scarin’ me how much I hate the idea of you touchin’ anyone else.” He closed his eyes, putting his hands on Christian’s forearms and stroking them slowly as he admitted very softly, “When David called you honey an’ then said he was stayin’ with you tonight, I kinda wanted to either kill him or cry, which is stupid ‘cause you told me he doesn’t even know you’re bi, or didn’t until I ran out of there like a silly little bitch and left you to explain why.”

Christian pulled Dean’s shoulder to turn Dean towards him, and Dean opened his eyes to see Christian frowning at him as he said firmly, “Baby, no matter how I might flirt with anyone else, nothin’s gonna happen. I _will_ flirt, I been doin’ it for so long I don’t even notice it anymore, but I’m not the kinda guy who’ll cheat on somebody I love.”

Dean stared into Christian’s eyes for a moment and then just lifted his hands to Christian’s jaw as he stepped in closer and kissed him, putting his whole heart into it. Christian let out a soft little noise and his arms went around Dean again, pulling him even closer as he devoured Dean’s mouth like he was starving. Dean groaned quietly as he relaxed into Christian’s arms, the tension and worry he had felt starting to melt away. He could _feel_ how much Christian wanted him and needed him in that kiss, and he suddenly felt like a fool for doubting him.

They broke apart finally again after a few minutes, both of them breathless as they stared into each other’s eyes, and Dean was smiling slightly as he murmured, “Next time I’m bein’ so fuckin’ stupid, just hit me, okay?”

“How ‘bout I kiss you instead?” Christian asked, smiling too. “It’s a hell of a lot more fun.”

Dean’s smile widened. “I think I can live with that.”

Christian’s smile shifted into a little smirk as he murmured, “You’d better be able to, or you’re gonna get tired of havin’ me around. I plan to be kissin’ you a lot.”

“Lucky me,” Dean whispered, sliding his hands up into Christian’s hair and then tugging Christian’s head down just enough to bring their lips together again.

 

~*~

 

Jensen was tense but trying hard to hide it as he lingered over wiping the prep table, pretending to be busy while Steve built a fire in the big kettle grill so it would be ready to use when they got ready for it in another half hour or so. Jensen had hoped that whatever Christian or David did to upset Dean wouldn’t take Christian long to fix, but it had been a good ten minutes since Christian went into the barn and Jensen was beginning to get really worried when he finally heard the barn gate rattle.

“You ain’t comin’, Cisco,” Christian’s voice said just loud enough Jensen could hear him, sounding amused. “You don’t need out when folks’ll be drivin’ up soon.”

“Cars don’t bother him,” Dean’s voice pointed out as the gate clanged shut again, “and the grass _is_ kinda tall by the house.”

“He can come out at six,” Christian said, sounding amused as he and Dean moved into Jensen’s line of sight. “Everyone knows food’ll be on the table by then, so they’ll be here if they’re comin’.”

Christian and Dean were both looking well kissed and happy, and Jensen smiled as he relaxed, pleased at the proof that Christian seemed to have fixed whatever had upset Dean. Dean seemed sure of himself again and was walking next to Christian close enough that their shoulders brushed, so close in fact that it took Jensen a moment to realize they were holding hands.

Dean seemed oblivious to Jensen watching him, looking pleased as he smiled at Christian and said, “I’ll let him out after folks are done fillin’ their plates then.”

“That’ll work,” Christian agreed with a grin, and then he looked over and met Jensen’s gaze. “Did you need somethin’ Jenny, or are you just admirin’ how sexy Dean is?”

Dean blushed as he looked at Jensen in surprise, his eyes going wide, and Jensen felt his own face heating up as he let out a slight laugh. “Sorry, I just wanted to be sure Dean’s alright.”

Dean made a face, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine, _Mom_. I had an attack of stupid, but it’s done with.”

“Just like that?” Steve asked, sounding surprised enough that Jensen glanced at him. Steve looked pretty surprised and a bit worried, and Jensen was glad to realize that Steve actually cared about Dean. “You looked kind of _devastated_ a few minutes ago.”

“’Cause I was bein’ stupid,” Dean said firmly, and when Jensen turned his attention back to Dean he saw that Dean looked very embarrassed. “I’m not used to havin’ somebody like Christian and I took something wrong, but it’s done and I’d really appreciate if you two’d drop it, okay?”

“Sure,” Steve agreed immediately, and Jensen glanced at him to watch as Steve moved to the gas grill to get the small metal box out of the bottom that would hold wood chips. “If you two are fine with whatever it was, that’s what matters.”

“We are,” Dean said quickly. Jensen looked back at Dean, and Dean met his gaze as he asked, “That good enough for you, bro?”

Jensen nodded quickly. “I just want you happy, Dean, you know that.”

“Then relax, ‘cause I am,” Dean said, looking relieved.

“So you two can stop worryin’ over us like hens with one chick,” Christian added, looking amused as he started towards the trailer again, tugging Dean along with him. “We’re gonna go save Dave from the terror of maybe havin’ to try an’ open the oven.”

Steve snickered. “Go on, rescue David. We’ll get the chairs out of the barn and get everything set up out here.”

“Thanks,” Christian said cheerfully as he and Dean reached the trailer’s front steps, “anybody else who’s comin’ oughta show before too much longer, or call you to say they got a better offer.”

“Jerry and Tim both already called,” Steve said with a laugh as he turned the gas grill on low to warm up. “Timmy’s going out with that girl again, and she’s got a friend who’s into Craig so they’re making it a double date. Jerry decided to go barhopping with some friends of his tonight, but wants you to freeze him some of everything. I’m gonna take it to him tomorrow or Monday.”

Christian laughed, pausing at the trailer door to look back at Steve with a grin. “Works for me. While you’re at it you can take some to Tim an’ Craig, too. Melissa ever call?”

“Nope,” Steve said, moving towards the barn. “And she would have by now if she was coming. It’s looking like we’ll be the only ones here this time.”

“That ain’t all bad,” Christian said with a laugh, heading into the trailer with Dean right behind him.

Jensen moved to follow Steve to the barn. “So what, just the five of us to eat all this food?”

“Unless you want me to call and invite Denise and the girls,” Steve said with a grin, looking over his shoulder at Jensen as he stopped at the gate. “They’d love to hang out with us again.”

Jensen thought about it for only a moment before he shook his head. “Nah, I don’t want to do that to Dean. Let him and Christian relax if they can. I think they kind of need it.”

Steve’s grin faded a bit at that but he nodded quickly, opening the barn gate so they could go inside. “Good point. Chris and Dean _do_ need some time to get used to being together, and the girls shouldn’t be around here, not today at least. They love me and Chris to death, but they’d be sure to tell somebody about them, even if we asked them not to.”

Jensen nodded, following Steve into the barn. “That’s what I figured.” He grinned at Steve. “We’ll survive without female companionship just this once.”

Steve grinned and closed the gate, then walked to the feed room. “Especially since they’ll be glad to meet us somewhere when we want to go out and have some fun. Kayla and Denise are _always_ ready to hook up with me for a little fun even when Chris doesn’t want to play, and Lisa really liked you last night.”

Jensen tried not to look as smug as he felt. He and Lisa had hit it off almost as soon as Christian chased her into the dressing room at the club, and Jensen had really enjoyed himself with her. “I noticed.”

Steve laughed and stepped up into the feed room as he teased, “I’d hope so, especially after the lap dance she gave you at that second club. I thought you two were going to get us kicked out.”

Jensen laughed, blushing suddenly as he agreed, “Yeah, that kind of tipped me off.”

Steve leaned back out of the feed room, offering Jensen a couple of folding lawn chairs with a smirk. “I noticed.”

Jensen felt his face heating up even more as he laughed. “Just shut up and pass me another chair.”

Steve snickered and ducked back into the feed room, and Jensen was more than a little grateful that he seemed to be letting it drop. It was more than a little embarrassing that he had actually come in his pants in the middle of a crowded club, even though he felt like he had a good excuse. Lisa had wanted to push him over the edge because he had stupidly said he’d never met a girl who could get him off with just a lap dance. The girl was very talented and hadn’t had any problem proving her point and making Jensen eat his words.

It wasn’t until after they took the girls home that Steve had told him Lisa was working her way through college as a stripper that specialized in lap dances.

 

~*~

 

Dean blushed as Christian led him towards the breakfast bar, where David was sitting with a beer and reading something.

David looked up as they approached, looking guilty as he closed a dark green spiral notebook about the size of a paperback. “You’re back.”

Christian let out a surprised little laugh. “Damn, Dave.” He snatched up the notebook as he blushed very red. “Nosy, much?”

“I got bored,” David said, looking sheepish. “I went to borrow a book and it was right on top of the shelves, and you _know_ how I like reading your stuff.”

Christian was still pretty red-faced as he let go of Dean’s hand and walked towards their bedroom with the notebook. “Yeah, well, next time _ask_. An’ keep your mouth shut about the newest song if you saw it, I’m not done with it yet.”

“Alright,” David agreed quickly. “You’ve got a good start, if that helps. I like it.”

Christian disappeared into the next room, but not before Dean heard him mumble, “Thanks.”

Dean moved around the bar to go pick up the root beer he had abandoned when he left the kitchen earlier, still blushing and wondering what he could possibly say to David. He was at a loss for how to even say hello after he acted like such a fool earlier, but he really wanted David to like him, mostly because Christian liked David so much.

David saved him the trouble of saying anything as he said quietly, “Sorry about that earlier.” Dean looked at him in surprise, and David added with a sheepish little smile, “Chris has been my best friend for years and we tease each other like that all the time, but I wouldn’t have done it if I knew about you two. I know what it’s like when everything’s so new and great that you’re just waiting for the roof to cave in ‘cause you’re sure you can’t possibly be so lucky.”

“I...” Dean started, but he couldn’t find the words he wanted. It didn’t help that David had put exactly what Dean felt when he ran out into words, which was kind of scary considering the fact he’d never _met_ the guy before. After a moment Dean finally gave up on finding the right words and said simply, “Thanks.”

David smiled warmly at Dean, his brown eyes surprisingly gentle. “No reason to thank me.”

Dean blushed, a bit surprised to find himself smiling back at David. “If you say so.”

Christian walked back out of the bedroom then, moving to the fridge as he said, “Remember what I said, Dave. Keep your mouth shut about that song.”

“I will, jeeze,” David said with a little laugh as he looked at Christian. “Just check your food and stop fussing at me. I didn’t say anything to him about it.”

Dean wondered why Christian didn’t want him to know about the song as he moved to the fridge to take out the big paper-wrapped package of beef in the bottom drawer. They had finally headed back into the house mostly because Christian needed to start cutting the steaks and letting them come up to room temperature so they’d be ready to go on the grill, and Christian had told Dean about a wild-sounding stuffing to go in the steaks that Dean was looking forward to trying. He’d never had blue cheese before, at least not that was _supposed_ to be blue, but the rest of the stuffing – bacon, onions, jalapenos, garlic, salt, and pepper – sounded awesome to him and he kind of couldn’t wait to tackle a nice thick bone-in ribeye steak filled with the stuff.

“Babe, would you get the cheese out while you’re in there? It’s marked ‘Maytag’, on the top shelf in the back with all the other cheese,” Christian said, moving to the double oven and opening the bottom one. He grabbed a towel off the counter and then reached into the oven to open the lid of the dutch oven full of beans.

“Sure,” Dean agreed, putting the beef on the counter and then moving back to the fridge to reach in and get the cheese. “You want the bacon, green onions, and peppers, too?”

“Yeah baby, thanks,” Christian said quickly, sounding pleased, and when Dean glanced at him he saw Christian had closed the lower oven and was grinning at him. 

“Anytime.” Dean smiled at Christian and looked back into the fridge, trying to ignore the way he was blushing as he shifted things around looking for a package that had ‘Maytag’ scrawled on it.

“You’re making rattlesnake steaks, too?” David asked, sounding hopeful and pleased.

Christian let out a laugh. “Yeah, I am. Or we are. Dean’s gonna help me.”

“I can’t believe you’re letting him in your kitchen to actually _help_ _cook_ ,” David said with a surprised laugh.

Dean found the blue cheese then, stacked with several other packages that Dean figured were the other cheeses Christian had mentioned, even though the only ones he actually recognized were pepperjack, Parmesan, and cheddar. He’d never heard of asiago, taleggio or manchego cheese, but Christian had mentioned while they ate breakfast that he had taken classes at a culinary school so Dean figured they were all probably pretty good. He moved to put the blue cheese on the counter, glancing at David and Christian and then grinning as he put everything back in place on the top shelf of the fridge and wondered if the blush Christian had going on went all the way to his nipples. Dean kind of thought it probably did, going by the glimpse he just got of Christian’s face and neck.

“Yeah, I am,” Christian said, sounding a little sheepish. “He made a killer potato salad from scratch already, an’ he’s plenty good enough with a knife to do anything I can do.”

Dean grabbed the green onions and peppers out of the veggie drawer and then got the bacon out of the bottom drawer, closing the fridge as he added, “And I take orders real good.”

“I bet,” David said, and his tone made Dean turn around to look at him quickly in surprise. Dean heard the front door then, but didn’t really pay any attention to it, too busy watching as David smirked at Christian and teased, “So he cooks _and_ takes orders, huh?  Does he _ride_?”

Christian was blushing very red even though he was grinning wickedly as he suddenly looked at Dean. “Yeah he does, and he’s a natural on a horse, too.”

Dean laughed, blushing again as Steve walked in, grinning widely as he added, “And he sings, _and_ plays the guitar.”

David snickered, looking at Steve. “So Chris didn’t have a prayer, in other words.”

Jensen walked in and moved to the end barstool, grinning but silent as he just sat down and listened.

“Not even a little one,” Steve agreed with a snicker, dropping onto the barstool between Jensen and David as he reached out to steal David’s beer and take a drink. “Chris was toast before they ever said two words to each other, and he’s been falling deeper and deeper ever since.” He passed the beer back to David, who was grinning widely and didn’t seem to mind Steve taking a drink. “You should have seen them staring at each other during the gig last night, it was all I could do to behave and not tease them right there on stage. I don’t think Dean looked at anyone else more than three times, and Chris was just as bad when he forgot to make himself flirt with the crowd. You would have loved it.”

“He’d have given me all kinds of hell,” Christian corrected with a little snort of a laugh, blushing very red still. “Even though I couldn’t help it. Dean’s so fuckin’ sexy I couldn’t hardly look away.”

Dean turned away to put the bacon on the counter with the meat, smiling even though it felt like his face was on fire. He couldn’t help but enjoy hearing that Christian had been attracted to him that much even before they spoke for the first time. The feeling had definitely been mutual, and it seemed like it just got more intense the more time they spent together.

“I still might,” David said with a low laugh. “Here you are calling a guy _sexy_ , Chris, and you never even told me you’re bi.”

Dean moved to the nearby knife block to get one of the two knives Christian had called a santoku, leaving the larger one because he had noticed Christian liked the big blade. He carried the knife and the veggies to the small cutting board on the breakfast bar so he could start slicing up the peppers and onions, and tried hard to act like he wasn’t hanging on every word the others said as he asked, “Babe, how do you want these cut?”

Christian moved over behind Dean to put his hands on Dean’s hips as he leaned close to look over Dean’s shoulder and watch him neatly trim the roots off of the onions. “Pretty small dice for the white part of the onions and the peppers, that way they’ll cook faster. The greens just need to be sliced, how you do them doesn’t really matter. They’ll be goin’ on top of stuff for folks who like ‘em, not gettin’ cooked with anything.”

Dean turned his head to look at Christian with a smile, blushing and amused to see Christian was also still kind of red-faced but grinning. “Seed the peppers?”

“Yeah, Dave and Stevie are both wusses,” Christian said, kissing Dean lovingly before he pulled away to walk towards the counter where Dean had left the meat. “You leave the seeds in an’ we’ll be eatin’ the steaks all alone, babe.”

Dean knew he had a goofy grin on his face, but he really didn’t care as he looked down to cut the green tops off the onions, setting them aside and then deftly starting to slice the onion stalks lengthwise into quarters. “As a threat, that one doesn’t scare me any. Breakfast was a _long_ time ago.”

David laughed, drawing Dean’s attention, and Dean felt his face going very hot as he saw the way David was smirking at Steve. “Somebody’s ignoring me, and his new boyfriend is helping him do it.”

“Dean might not know he’s good at ignoring questions he doesn’t want to answer,” Steve agreed, grinning widely. “He doesn’t need the help.”

David looked back towards Christian again then, still smirking, and Dean looked back down as he sliced the onions quickly, listening to David talk. “Yeah, well, he’d better quit ignoring _me_ or I’ll start telling Dean everything I know about him, starting with the nasty way he eats onion rings.”

Dean let out a little surprised laugh and looked up at David again. “Hey! Don’t knock the marinara, man, it’s _good_.”

Jensen laughed and shook his head, murmuring, “Of _course_ he does.”

Christian snickered and sounded smug as he said, “Try again, Dave.”

David and Steve were both staring at Dean, but David was the first to speak up. “You like _marinara_ on your onion rings?”

“Yep,” Dean said, grinning as he glanced down to get the onions lined up and then looked at David, not even watching his knife as he diced the onion stalks neatly. “Nothin’ better on an onion ring, or a mozzarella stick.” He laughed. “Or fries, even a sandwich.”

“Or fried mushrooms,” Christian added.

Dean’s knife stilled as he looked over his shoulder at Christian, grinning when he saw Christian was watching him with a smug smirk. “Haven’t tried that yet.”

“Remind me to make some tomorrow, babe,” Christian said, turning back to the rib roast he was slicing into thick steaks. “I got ‘shrooms and mozzarella sticks in the freezer, an’ plenty of Vidalia onions an’ tomatoes.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed easily, looking back at the onions to start chopping them again. “I can make the sauce while you do the fryin’. It’ll only take me about twenty minutes from cuttin’ the tomatoes and onions to bein’ ready to eat. Less if you’ve got canned tomatoes.”

“Deal,” Christian agreed, sounding pleased. “Oughta be great with some of the leftover brisket.”

“Hell yeah,” Dean agreed, grinning as he finished the stalks of the onions and moved on to slicing peppers in half to take out the seeds. “Sandwiches even. Ain’t much that beats a good Italian beef sub.”

“Especially when the French bread is fresh out of the oven,” Christian said, sounding smug. “It won’t take me long to throw together a couple nice loaves.”

Dean laughed, not looking up from the peppers. “That’ll be _awesome_.”

“It’s kind of scary how much you two are alike,” David said after a moment, making Steve and Jensen both laugh.

Dean looked up at David again, amused. “It’s not _always_ opposites that attract.”

“We’re plenty different,” Christian disagreed then, making them all look at him in surprise. Christian had turned away from the steaks again and was looking at Dean like the others weren’t even there, smiling. “We like a lot of the same stuff, sure, but we don’t act anything alike. You’re kinda shy and quiet, babe, an’ nobody ever accused me of being either one.”

Dean blushed, surprised and not sure what to say, but the others beat him to it anyway.

David snickered. “If they did, they lied.”

“Through their teeth,” Steve agreed with a laugh.

Jensen snickered. “That seems true to you three, I’m sure, but Dean’s only shy with people he wants to like him. Pitch him into a crowded bar with a pool cue and a beer, and he could probably make all of you look shy, and that’s _before_ he has any tequila. After a few shots of Cuervo he’ll start a fight with the biggest guy he can find sometimes just to pass the time.”

David laughed and looked at Steve. “Of _course_ he plays pool too.”

“And fights for fun, and probably wrestled in high school,” Steve agreed, snickering.

“Only if the people I dated count,” Dean said quickly, still blushing but unable to let that one pass. “School sports are for guys that haven’t got anything better to do.” He grinned, adding, “Me, I was busy doin’ the cheerleaders.” He smirked at David and Steve’s obvious shock. “And a linebacker or two.”

Christian laughed, sounding pleased and smug as he said, “Sic’em, baby.”

Dean looked over at Christian, grinning still at how surprised Steve and David were until David said, “You mean you’re not gay?”

Dean looked at David quickly. “I swing that way farther than Christian does, I'm pretty sure, but I ain’t leadin’ the Pride parade or anything. I like all the cookies in the box, and I’ve been with a lot more girls than guys.”

“What’s a Pride parade?” Christian asked, and the others all started laughing, including Dean, who turned towards Christian in surprise. He couldn’t quite believe Christian had lived in LA for a few years without ever seeing a Pride celebration, but Christian really did look lost as he asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Every June is gay Pride month, Chris,” Steve said, grinning widely.

“How in the world did you miss _Pride_?” David asked, snickering. “I mean, it’s _weeks_ of parades of rainbows and naked men running wild all over the place.”

“Don’t forget the bikers,” Steve added, smirking. “All the hot lesbians on Harleys are the best part.”

Christian blinked, looking amused. “I thought that was just how California _is_ in the summer.”

Dean snickered and didn’t even think before he said, “Oh man. I love you.”

Christian stared at Dean a moment and then grinned slowly. “Just because I don’t know what Pride is?”

“Nope, because you’re almost too good to be true,” Dean replied, blushing as he realized he had not only said that he loved Christian out loud, but said it in front of the others, too. He turned back to the cutting board to dice the last of the onions as he added, “I thought the same damned thing my first time in LA ‘cause of all the stories I’d heard about how crazy everyone in California is. I was eighteen an’ it was June, and when I wandered down Sunset Boulevard I felt like I’d ended up in some freaky gay version of the twilight zone.”

Dean caught himself before he said why he had been in that part of town. Jensen and Christian knew he had sold his ass, but he didn’t see any reason David or Steve would ever need to know that about him.

“That’s okay then,” Christian said with a soft laugh, and a moment later Dean heard him slice another steak off the rib roast, the knife thunking into the cutting board as Christian cut down between the base of the ribs.

“You two are kind of scary,” David said then, and Dean glanced at him to see David looked pleased but wry.

“I think it’s great,” Jensen said then, amused. “I don’t have to worry about leaving Dean on his own way out here with Christian like I might with some other guy.”

Dean laughed, surprised. “I don’t need you to protect me from _any_ guy, Jen, you know that. I’ve been fightin’ my way through life since I was six. I can take anybody as long as he hasn’t got too many buddies helpin’ him.” Well, that and as long as he wasn’t John. Dean still hadn’t ever managed to make himself fight back when John tore into him, even though he knew he should.

“That’s a pretty big claim,” David said, eyebrows going up with a laugh. “Would you be saying the same thing if I came at you when you didn’t have one of the sharpest knives Chris owns in your hand?”

Dean snorted, smirking as he laid the santoku knife on the cutting board. “I don’t need his knife.” He took a few steps back from the counter and then gracefully lifted his right foot to take out his battered old Sheffield boot knife in one well-practiced move before dropping his foot back to the floor. He settled into a deceptively relaxed stance, holding the knife so the blade was almost hidden along his right forearm with his left hand making a ‘come on’ gesture. “I got my own blades, man, if you feel froggy. I promise not to hurt you too bad teachin’ you not to pick a fight with a Winchester.”

Christian laughed. “Don’t you do it, David.” Dean glanced at Christian, amused, and then watched Christian walk towards him as Christian added, “I been in more than my share of scraps, an’ one look is enough to tell me Dean’s lived a hell of a lot harder than you _or_ me, Dave. He don’t fight by the rules like the guys you play with, but he sure as hell wins more ‘n he loses.” He moved in close to Dean as if Dean wasn’t even holding the wickedly-sharp old boot knife, sliding his arms around Dean’s waist as he smirked at him and murmured more quietly, “It’s kinda scary how fuckin’ hot it is, knowin’ you can kick some ass if you want to.”

“Never had anybody else to do it for me,” Dean admitted softly, smiling as he slid his arms around Christian’s waist and swayed even closer to him, the knife still snug along his forearm against his skin.

“Do now,” Christian murmured, closing the last of the distance between them to kiss Dean.

 

~*~

 

Dean hummed into the kiss and melted closer, drawing a soft pleased growl from Christian, who deepened the kiss even though he hadn’t planned to linger very long. He could taste the root beer Dean had been drinking, but mostly all he tasted was Dean as he licked into his mouth, their tongues meeting hot and slick as if drawn to each other. Dean shifted slightly against him, pressing his hips closer as he shifted his feet further apart, and Christian growled again a bit deeper as he pushed Dean backwards until Dean hit the counter by the stove.

Dean made a low happy noise, his left hand sliding down to stroke over Christian’s ass as he moved to spread his legs further. Christian rocked his hips against Dean’s, loving the soft needy noise Dean made, and then he broke the kiss to look into Dean’s shining eyes as he smiled and murmured, “You _know_ I wanna, babe, but we got an audience.”

Dean licked his lips, blushing as he rocked his hips to grind against Christian and whispered, “If they don’t wanna watch, they can look somewhere else.” He kissed Christian again, hips flexing slowly against Christian’s cock as he moved his right arm to set the knife he held down behind him, then buried his fingers in Christian’s hair.

Christian couldn’t keep from responding to Dean, barely aware of the low noises he was making as his hips jerked and he kissed Dean hungrily. He let his hands slide down over Dean’s ass, squeezing and massaging as he felt the muscles go tight against his palms, and then he broke away from Dean’s mouth to trail nipping kisses along his jaw. Dean was still moving, slowly rubbing the hardening bulge at his crotch against Christian’s cock, and when Christian reached Dean’s ear he bit the lobe, loving the way Dean whimpered and bucked against him. “I wanna fuck you silly right now.”

“Fuck yeah,” Dean breathed, his hands roaming restlessly over Christian’s back. “Lube’s in my pocket.”

“Not here.” Christian nipped Dean’s earlobe again just to hear him whine and feel the way Dean’s hips jerked against his, then he growled into Dean’s ear, “I want you naked on our bed.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed immediately, breathless and eager despite how red he was blushing.

Christian pulled away, staring into Dean’s eyes as he stepped back and murmured, “Go on, babe. I’ll be there in a second.”

Dean pushed away from the counter, grabbing his knife without needing to look for it as he stared into Christian’s eyes and murmured, “Don’t make me have to start without you.”

Christian smirked. “I won’t.”

Dean stepped in close to kiss Christian again, hard and fast, then moved past him to head for the bedroom, and Christian felt his face going hot as he saw the way David, Steve, and Jensen were all staring at them. The other three men all looked more than a little shocked, though Jensen and Steve looked kind of amused, too. David was just wide-eyed and staring, and Christian knew he’d have to handle David’s shock before he could follow Dean.

Christian watched Dean go, waiting until Dean closed the bedroom door before he murmured, “If any of you give him shit over _anything_ you just saw, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

David looked at Christian quickly, still wide-eyed and looking kind of stunned as he asked quietly, “How the hell did you two get from him pulling a _knife_ on me to so horny you can’t even wait until you’re through cooking?”

Christian met David’s gaze without any hesitation. “I can’t touch him without wantin’ him, Dave, an’ he feels the same. You’d better get used to it.”

“They kept it in their pants more than an hour this time,” Steve said then, amused despite his lingering surprise. “I’m starting to realize that might be a record. You two are working on what, three times since Jen woke you up this morning?”

Christian blushed a bit, looking towards the bedroom as he ran one hand through his hair. “More like five. We passed three before we even had breakfast.”

“Damn, boy,” Steve said with a bit of a laugh, “what’re you _on_?”

“Nothin’,” Christian replied, looking at Steve with a wry little smile. “Just lovin’ the way he makes me feel.”

“Don’t keep him waiting, Chris,” Jensen said quietly, making them all look at him in surprise. “He’ll start thinking too much about what he just did.”

Christian nodded and started towards the bedroom, sure that Jensen was right. “Finish cuttin’ the steaks, would you, Stevie?”

“Don’t worry, bro,” Steve said quickly, standing to move around the breakfast bar with Jensen moving quickly to follow him. “Me and Jen have got your back. We’ll have everything ready.”

“Thanks,” Christian said, glancing back to give Steve and Jensen a quick smile before he opened the bedroom door and went inside, closing it behind him quietly.

The only light in the room came from the edges of the heavily curtained window, but even in the dim light Christian had no trouble seeing that Dean was still flushed red more than half way down his chest. He was sitting on the unmade bed, already shirtless with one foot bare as he tugged off his remaining boot, and Christian felt suddenly protective and warm as he realized Dean was getting naked like he had asked him to, despite his obvious embarrassment. He had hoped he was right when he told Dean to go wait on the bed, hoped it wasn’t just his imagination that Dean liked it when he told Dean what to do, and it was really nice to have a little proof that he had been right.

Dean held the boot for a moment as he pulled his sock off with his free hand, dropping it in the floor, then picked up his boot knife off the bed next to him to tuck it back into the hidden sheath in the boot. He put the boot next to its twin in the floor between his feet and then looked up at Christian, the amulet he never seemed to take off sliding against his chest with the movement and glinting as it caught the light from the window. “Hey,” he murmured softly, licking his lips and then looking just a bit uncertain as he murmured, “we still doin’ this?”

Christian started towards the bed. “We are if you still want to, baby.”

Dean stood, reaching for his belt to unbuckle it as he smiled slow and sexy, looking like he wanted to make a meal out of Christian. “Oh yeah.”

Christian returned the smile, his hands moving to Dean’s jeans as soon as he got close enough to reach, starting to unbutton the fly as he murmured, “Then we’re both wearin’ too many clothes.”

Dean lifted his hands to either side of Christian’s neck, pulling him close as he murmured, “Shut up an’ kiss me again.”

“Love to,” Christian replied, pushing Dean’s jeans downward as their lips met in a slow, searching kiss.

 

~*~

 

Jensen didn’t hesitate to move to the cutting board to finish what Dean had started, though he was much more careful than Dean had been about watching what he was doing. Dean had only cut open two jalapeno peppers before David distracted him, and there were half a dozen peppers on the board waiting to have the seeds removed so the peppers could be diced up, so Jensen knew it would take him a few minutes. He wasn’t nearly as good with a knife as Dean, though he was good enough that Dean let him help in the kitchen on the rare occasion Dean made them dinner. Jensen couldn’t cook at all, not unless it was a boxed mix, and he hated letting Dean do all the work so they usually just called for take-out.

“Neither of you seem very surprised that they dropped everything to go screw around,” David said quietly after a few minutes.

Jensen looked at David quickly, amused. “Probably because I’m not. I can’t really speak for Steve, but I doubt he is either, not after today.”

“Not even a little,” Steve agreed quietly.

Music began suddenly in the next room, starting quietly enough Jensen couldn’t quite make it out, and then they heard Christian laugh as the music was turned up enough they could hear a driving bass beat that was soon accompanied by a synthesizer and drums. A very distinctive voice began to sing a moment later and then Jensen snickered, shaking his head as he recognized the song finally.

“ _There's something about you, baby, it happens every time. Whenever I'm around you, baby, I get a dirty mind. It doesn't matter where we are, it doesn't matter who's around. It doesn't matter, I just wanna lay you down_.”

David let out a little surprised laugh, murmuring, “That’s … appropriate.”

Jensen grinned. “Isn’t it just? Dean _must_ have been the first one to the stereo. He’s downright _evil_ about picking a song to fit the moment sometimes.”

Steve snickered. “I wouldn’t bet too much on that. Chris tries to hide it, but he loves Prince. He’s got every album the guy has done, no matter what he was calling himself at the time.”

Jensen looked over at Steve, grinning. “I figured that it was Christian’s music. Dean hasn’t got his mp3 player with him and he doesn’t even own any CDs. He says they’re a waste of time and space when he can download anything he wants for free.”

“He’s a music pirate?” David asked with a laugh.

“Chris does the same thing when nobody’s watching,” Steve said, snickering again. “He’s got thousands of songs on his laptop, but less than a hundred albums, and maybe fifty CDs. He loses the CDs as quick as he buys them if he takes them out of the house, so he only buys his favorites.”

David chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course he does.”

Jensen snickered and looked back down at the cutting board as he went back to carefully cutting the ribs and seeds out of the peppers. “It’s kind of amazing how much they have in common. The more I see of them together, the less surprised I am that they can’t resist each other.”

“It is a little spooky,” David agreed. “I guess it does prove that there’s someone out there that’s perfect for _everyone_ , though.”

“No matter how crazy it might seem,” Jensen agreed, nodding but not looking up. “They’re meant for each other if anyone ever was, I think.”

“Seems that way to me, too,” Steve said quickly. “I had my doubts when we got here this morning, but I don’t anymore. I’m glad Dean’s moving in.”

“You that sure, Stevie?” David asked quietly, and Jensen looked towards him in surprise at the change in David’s tone of voice. David ignored Jensen, watching Steve with a suddenly serious expression as he added, “You _really_ believe this Dean guy is good enough for our boy?”

Steve turned away from the remaining piece of the rib roast, looking at David as he said quietly, “Yeah, Dave, I do. I know it seems crazy, but after seeing them together I can’t doubt they’re falling hard and fast for each other.” He smiled crookedly. “Best thing I ever did for Chris was waitin’ outside to catch Dean before he could leave the studio yesterday, I think, even if it did make him mad when he found out I had done it.” He looked at Jensen then, adding, “I owe Jen a lot for makin’ Dean show up at the club, though.”

Jensen smiled at Steve. “I had to. I could tell by the way he talked about it when he told me about seeing Christian for the first time that he _had_ to see him again. Dean’s been alone way too long, and I never heard him talk about a guy he didn’t even know like that. I’m starting to think he fell for Christian as soon as their eyes met.”

“Same with Chris,” Steve murmured, walking over to the breakfast bar by David and Jensen. “He’s been lonely as hell since I met him, no matter how often he gets laid. None of the girls really mattered, not even the ones he liked enough to stay friends with.”

Jensen nodded as he said softly, “Dean would hook up with a girl every once in a while, but he hardly ever bothered to learn their names. He fell for someone in high school that he had to leave behind when his family moved, and he never really got over it.” He smiled suddenly. “Until now. I never thought I’d see him as happy as Christian makes him.”

“Chris already loves him,” Steve murmured, smiling at Jensen. “Give it a few weeks and they’ll forget they ever knew anyone else.”

“If Chris doesn’t go right back to girls,” David said suddenly, making Jensen and Steve both look at him in surprise. David was looking at Steve as he added, “You _know_ how Chris is when he’s high on Jack and adrenaline after a show. He’ll have girls all over him, and he’s shit at telling them no, Stevie.”

“He won’t even look twice at them,” Steve said, sounding very sure of himself. “Think about it, Dave. Have you _ever_ seen him look at a girl like he looks at Dean?”

David was quiet for a long moment, and Jensen waited, watching David as he listened to the music that still played loudly in Christian’s room. The song had changed, but it was still Prince and still very appropriate. Most of Prince’s music worked well as a soundtrack to get laid by, though.

“ _Ah, love me any way you want, but please love me now. I'll do anything you want, you're the teacher, show me how_.”

Jensen was familiar enough with Prince’s songs to know some of the noises that he could hear were definitely not part of the music, but he tried not to really listen to them. He was pretty sure he already knew what Dean sounded like when he came, even though he really kind of wished he didn’t, and he wasn’t interested in finding out what Christian sounded like.

“No, I guess not,” David said after another moment. “I never saw Chris look at anyone like he was looking at Dean when he sent him in there.” He nodded towards the door to Christian’s bedroom, then added, “I can’t hardly believe him hooking up with anyone so submissive, though.”

“Dean only does that for someone he trusts completely,” Jensen said very quietly, making David and Steve both look at him. “I get to order him around sometimes if he’s feeling particularly out of his element, but there’s only been three people in his life he obeyed without question before now.”

“And they were?” David asked quietly, his brown eyes intent and searching.

“He’ll do anything Bobby tells him to do,” Jensen said quietly, meeting David’s gaze. “Bobby's the guy who practically raised Dean and is more like a dad to him than his real father is, and Dean would walk through Hell for him without thinking twice.”

“And the other two?” David asked.

“There isn’t anyone else, not anymore,” Jensen replied. “Dean used to obey his father without question, but John broke his trust, not to mention a few bones, and Dean had to get smart or get hurt even worse the next time. The other one was the guy Dean fell in love with in high school. Dean hasn’t seen him in years and refuses to even consider seeing him again because the guy moved on and has a family, even though Dean wasn’t over him. Not until he met Christian, anyway.”

“Sounds like Christian,” Steve said quietly. “He’ll hardly leave his parents’ property when he goes back to Oklahoma to visit them. He’s afraid he’ll see Michelle at Wal-Mart or getting gas, and he couldn’t take it.”

Jensen nodded, looking at Steve. “Dean won’t go near Ohio or New York unless Bobby asks him to, and even then he’ll stay only long enough to do what Bobby needs him to do before he runs as far and as fast as he can.”

“What kind of stuff does Bobby ask him to do?” David asked, serious but obviously curious too.

Jensen looked at David. “No offense, David, but that’s not mine to tell, and I wouldn’t even if it was. I don’t know you real well, and Dean knows even less about you.”

David frowned, obviously not liking that, but Steve didn’t look surprised as he asked, “Does Chris know?”

“Yeah,” Jensen said immediately, nodding as he looked at Steve and then back at David. “Christian knows _everything_ , even stuff Dean hasn’t told _me_ , and I’ve known him for years. He even talked to Bobby earlier when he called.” He smiled. “Bobby liked him from what I heard, and Christian seemed to feel the same about Bobby. I heard Christian tell Dean that anytime Bobby needs his help, Chris is going too.”

“Good enough for me,” Steve said, sounding pleased. He looked at David, adding, “And it’s gonna have to be good enough for you too, Dave. Don’t push Dean for anything he doesn’t want to offer you. I’ve got a feeling Chris will go postal on anyone who upsets him, and he’d hate to have to beat the shit out of you.”

“I got the same feeling,” David admitted, looking kind of unsure as to whether or not he liked that. “That’s why I’m asking Jensen.”

“Thanks,” Jensen said quietly, smiling at David before he moved back to the peppers. “Dean’s had a rough weekend and he needs some time before you two ask too much of him. Christian just turned his world upside down, and I _know_ Dean’s scared shitless to be falling so hard and fast for anyone. You two are Christian’s best friends, so Dean’s gonna be pretty worried about what you think of him. That’s why he’s been so quiet and shy. Once he’s more sure of how he fits in around here, you’ll see the real Dean.”

“I can handle that, I think,” David said slowly. “I mean, if Chris _loves_ him, I’ll give him a chance until I have a reason to do differently.”

“He does,” Steve said firmly, walking back to the counter where the rib roast was laid out. “I’ve known him a little longer than you have, Dave, and I’ve never seen him like this over anyone else. He’s already got Dean feeding the horses for him and riding Lady bareback on his own.”

“Seriously?” David asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Steve replied. “I couldn’t hardly believe it, but after seeing them ride up the driveway together today on the way back from going to get Wyatt, I can’t doubt Dean anymore. I know damned little about him, but Chris loves him more than a little and he trusts him like nobody I’ve ever seen before. Chris let him feed the horses _alone_ while Chris was making breakfast, and then he let Dean ride Lady bareback _out on the road_.”

“Dean trusts Christian just as much,” Jensen added, carefully seeding another pepper. “He did from the moment they finally spoke to each other last night.”

“But how can they be so sure of each other so fast?” David asked quietly. “They just met.”

“Instinct,” Steve said. “They knew as soon as they set eyes on each other, somehow. I won’t claim to understand it, but I saw it. That’s why I went out to talk to Dean at the studio even after Chris told me to keep my nose out of it.”

“I saw it at the Viper Room, too,” Jensen agreed. “Dean’s had a really rough life and he goes with instinct more than a lot of people would. He just _knew_ he was safe with Christian last night. I don’t know how, but he did. I never saw Dean so willingly go _anywhere_ with a guy he didn't know until Christian asked him if he wanted to go grab a burger. He tried to talk himself out of it, but I know it wasn’t because he doubted Chris. He doubted he’d be able to tell him no.”

“Already?” David murmured.

“Before they ever said a word to each other,” Jensen answered, nodding. “That’s why he almost didn’t go last night.”

“Chris felt the same,” Steve said quietly, looking at Jensen. “He didn’t want me calling you and Dean back to the dressing room at first because he was sure that if he talked to Dean, he’d never be able to resist him. It scared the shit out of him. I had to push pretty hard to get him to even say hello.”

“I’m not really surprised,” Jensen murmured, a bit amused. “They _are_ a lot alike, so it kind of follows they’d react the same way to instinct hitting so hard.”

“Chris always has been one to trust his instincts,” David said slowly, and when Jensen looked at him he was glad to see David looked like he was finally relaxing and accepting it all. “And you two are right. We don’t really have to understand it as long as it makes them happy.”

“Just help them,” Jensen said quietly.

David looked at Jensen, nodding. “By running interference to make sure that other people don’t screw up what they have before it even gets started good.”

“They’d do it for us,” Steve agreed, sounding pleased.

Jensen nodded, smiling. “They would.”

David smiled too. “It’s settled, then. Between the three of us, we ought to be able to keep them out of trouble until they’re ready to take it.”

“I think they could take it now,” Steve said with a soft chuckle, “but they shouldn’t have to. Let them enjoy each other a little before life steps in.”

“At least for a week or two,” Jensen agreed, nodding as he went back to cleaning peppers.

“They deserve it,” David agreed, and when Jensen glanced at him he saw David was smiling as he drained the rest of his beer.

 

~*~

 

Dean smiled as he listened to the familiar lyrics of _‘Raspberry Beret’_ , shifting to settle closer to Christian’s side and then nuzzling his throat with a low purring hum.  He was feeling pleasantly tired and very satisfied as they relaxed on the bed, both of them completely naked as they enjoyed a few minutes together. Their breathing had returned to normal already, and the sweat cooling on their bodies combined with the breeze from the ceiling fan to make the dimly lit room seem a little cool, but not cool enough for Dean to consider getting up to find either clothes or something to cover up with, all of which were in the floor by the bed.

Dean was lying with one leg thrown across Christian’s thighs and his left hand on Christian’s belly, and he was feeling pleasantly fucked-out and about as comfortable as he could remember being even though they hadn’t bothered to clean up yet. He was sure it likely said something bad about him that the newly-familiar feel of Christian’s come leaking from his ass whenever he moved didn’t bother him any more than the slight ache in his thighs and back did, but he really couldn’t make himself care about it at the moment. It had been years since he felt so safe and comfortable with anyone and he wanted to savor the feeling as long as he could, whether that turned out to be for ten more minutes or ten years.

Christian’s hand slid slowly over the sweat-slicked muscles of Dean’s back, stroking as Christian turned his head towards Dean and kissed his hair, then murmured, “We should go get busy.”

“Yeah, we should,” Dean agreed with a soft sigh.

Neither of them made any attempt to move away from the other despite their words, not even when the song on the stereo changed. Dean wasn’t familiar with the slow funky beat, and when the lyrics began he let out a soft little laugh in surprise.

“ _Come, you should do that, baby, no more will you cry. Come, the spirit's calling, here's a reason why. Come, if you had a chance to see the future, would you try? Come, if you will, so will I. Come, when I call you up, I wanna tell you what to wear. Come, don't be surprised if I tell you to go bare. Come, as long as you wash between your soul and through your hair. Come, I'll do my duty there, oh…_ ”

The song began to repeat itself there and Dean murmured without really thinking about it, “Y’know, Prince really needs a hobby.”

Christian laughed and moved his right hand to where Dean’s left hand rested on his belly, tangling their fingers together and sounding very amused as he said softly, “I always figured he _did_ have a hobby. It’s just fuckin’ anything that’ll hold still long enough.”

Dean snickered and moved his head just enough to look at Christian. “That ain’t a hobby, it’s a complete lack of self-control.”

Christian smirked at Dean, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’ve been accused of sex bein’ _my_ hobby.”

“That’s just because you were tryin’ to find a girl who could make you forget how lonely you were, Christy,” Dean said softly, still amused even though his grin faded away.

Christian moved his left hand from Dean’s back to run his fingers through Dean’s hair, smiling. “I’d ask how you know that, but I’m thinkin’ I already know the answer.”

“Been there an’ done that,” Dean murmured, leaning into Christian’s touch with a slight smile. “Spent years doin’ the same damned thing before it dawned on me I wasn’t gonna find what I wanted with any woman.” His smile turned crooked as he added, “And I kept on doin’ it after that ‘cause I was still lonely as hell, and at least while I was fuckin’ some random woman I didn’t have to think about it for a while, or worry about all the shit that went along with hookin’ up with a guy.”

“It’s kind of scary, hearin’ you tell me stuff I’ve never admitted to anyone,” Christian whispered, looking into Dean’s eyes with a gentle, loving smile that didn’t quite go with his words. “Steve’s figured out some of it, but I know he didn’t tell you.”

“Didn’t need to,” Dean replied, shifting up onto his elbow to make it easier for him to meet Christian’s gaze without either of them having to crane their necks. “Like I said, been there, done that.”

Christian ran his fingers through Dean’s hair as he just stared up into Dean’s eyes a moment before he tugged gently. Dean willingly followed the pull, letting Christian drag him down into a tender kiss that seemed to go on forever. Christian licked his lips slowly when they finally pulled apart again to breathe, running his fingers through Dean’s hair again as he stared into Dean’s eyes and whispered, “There’s somethin’ you should know.” He gave Dean a sweet smile, his fingertips trailing over the nape of Dean’s neck and then down his back. “I found what I’ve been lookin’ for.”

Christian’s simple declaration made Dean feel like his heart just might burst with happiness. It wasn’t something Dean had experienced more than a few times in his life, but it didn’t scare him like it would have just hoursearlier. Everything was right with Dean’s world at that exact moment, and he had decided that he was going to just go with it and try to be happy. He leaned down to kiss Christian again and then he stared into Christian’s eyes as he whispered, “So did I.”

“Good,” Christian murmured with a gentle smile that made his blue eyes go warm and loving, letting go of Dean’s left hand to reach for Dean’s jaw and stroke along it with his fingertips. “’Cause I think I’ve kinda fallen in love with you.”

“I’m glad,” Dean replied softly, feeling so intensely happy and loved that he was a bit breathless as he smiled at Christian. “I’ve been thinkin’ the same thing all day.”

“Thank you, God,” Christian whispered, his smile widening as he stroked his fingertips along Dean’s jaw again, his other hand sliding up the middle of Dean’s back.

Dean moved with Christian’s fingertips on his jaw, letting Christian draw him down into a kiss with just that feather-light touch on his skin and then getting lost in how Christian made him feel. He had no idea what tomorrow might bring for them, but it didn’t really matter to him anymore. He was with Christian and he was in love in a way he had never been before, not even with Puck, and he was going to treasure every minute they had together as long as he possibly could.

 

~*~

 

The smell of bacon cooking was what finally drew Christian and Dean out of bed, both because it made them realize they were starving and because Christian knew it meant Steve was making the stuffing for the steaks without him. A quickie to take the edge off had turned into holding each other and making out lazily between pauses to talk, and it had been nearly an hour since they left the kitchen. The rest of the food was sure to be done, which left just the steaks and corn to get finished so they could all eat.

Christian was the first to leave their bedroom, mostly because Dean told him to get out so he could get dressed. Dean had looked so good in just his jeans that Christian could hardly keep his hands off of him, which was making it difficult for Dean to finish getting dressed, not to mention making his tight jeans more than a little uncomfortable for him. Dean had the same problem Christian did and seemed to be unable to touch Christian without getting a hard-on, which always just made Christian want him even more as soon as he noticed it. Christian loved knowing Dean couldn’t resist him and didn’t even want to try to, even though he knew it was going to make being around each other in public difficult.

Christian was barefoot and carrying his t-shirt as he let Dean chase him out of the room, grinning and feeling pretty fantastic despite being kind of tired from having sex for a fifth time since Jensen called to harass them early that morning. Christian couldn’t remember coming so many times in one day before, and he was kind of amazed and more than a little smug that he could have been going for a sixth time if he really wanted to. Being around Dean worked like Viagra on him, but he was enjoying it way too much to worry about the fact his cock seemed to instantly perk up and take notice whenever Dean touched him.

Christian closed the bedroom door behind him as he saw David look over at him with a grin, then David looked back into the kitchen as he said, “Somebody’s finally dragged himself away.” He picked up a piece of cheese out of the metal bowl in front of him on the counter, making Jensen laugh as David popped it into his mouth.

“Stop that!” Jensen said quickly, amused. He was standing on the opposite side of the breakfast bar from David and had his hands full of blue cheese he was carefully crumbling apart. “There’s not much more here than the recipe says we’ll need for seven steaks.”

“An’ they’re always better with a little extra stuffing,” Christian said, amused as he moved into the kitchen.

Steve was standing at the stove, and he turned his head to look at Christian with a smirk as he said, “’Bout time you dragged your ass out of bed. Everything’s done but the steaks and the corn.” He looked back at the stove to stir whatever was in the iron skillet in front of him as he added, “The onions, garlic, and peppers are almost done, and Jen’s got the cheese and the green onions ready to go.”

David stole another piece of cheese, smirking as he added, “And Stevie already cut the pockets in the steaks, so it’s time for you to get busy putting it all together.”

“Almost,” Jensen said with a little laugh, moving the bowl of blue cheese crumbles further from David. “Won’t the onions and peppers need to cool before you mix it all together?”

“Nope,” Christian said with a grin, pulling his shirt on quickly and then moving towards the stove. “Just have to blot some of the bacon grease off ‘em with a paper towel so they mix with the cheese better.”

“Stop right there,” David said with a laugh, holding up one hand towards Christian. “Wash your hands before you touch the food. I know where they’ve been.”

Christian laughed, feeling his face heat up. “I just _washed_ my hands a minute ago!”

David smirked. “ _After_ you touched Dean last?” Christian blushed even more, turning towards the sink as David snickered and said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Jensen was obviously trying not to laugh, though little stifled snickers kept leaking out anyway. Steve didn’t bother to try top hide his amusement as he looked towards Christian again, laughing.

“Oh, shut up, all of you,” Christian muttered, blushing very red as he turned on the hot water and then got some soap for his hands. “I can’t help wantin’ him like I wanna breathe.”

Steve started using a slotted spoon to dip the vegetable and bacon mixture out of the iron skillet onto a plate lined with paper towels as he teased, “It’s usually us you’re telling to wash our hands before we touch your food.”

“Usually y’all aren’t around when I’m really starvin’,” Christian countered with a little bit of a laugh. “I been known to come straight in from the horses to make breakfast an’ eat half of it before I notice my hands are dirty.”

Jensen finished the last of the blue cheese and moved to look at the large open notebook that was lying on the breakfast bar nearby, and then he headed towards the fridge as he teased, “Dean does the same thing. I watched him make pizza from scratch not too long ago, and he had it in the oven before he noticed the grease he got all over his hands working on his baby.”

David snickered. “That’s nasty.”

“The pizza tasted fine,” Dean said with a soft laugh, walking out of Christian’s room to stop near the end of the breakfast bar. Christian looked over his shoulder at him and grinned when he saw how relaxed and happy Dean looked standing there holding Christian’s boots. Dean was in his own jeans and t-shirt again, his combat boots on his feet even though he hadn’t bothered to tie them. Dean was looking at Jensen as he added, “Even you admitted that.”

David laughed. “You ate some of the pizza anyway, Jen?”

Christian snickered as he turned around, drying his hands on a towel while he watched the others talking.

“Try all of it,” Dean said, smirking. “I had to make another one for me.”

Jensen laughed as he turned away from the fridge with bottles of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire, closing the fridge with his elbow. “I hadn’t eaten all day!”

“Dean’s pizza is that good?” Steve asked, turning away from the stove with a grin.

Jensen carried the three bottles to the breakfast bar, looking amused. “Well, yeah. He even makes the dough and the sauce from scratch, when he bothers making pizza at all.”

Dean snorted, grinning and looking kind of smug. “If the pizza isn’t from scratch you might as well save an hour and call for delivery.” He laughed, adding, “Just don’t call a fuckin’ Pizza Hut, that shit’s nasty.”

David started laughing at that as Steve turned to Christian, wide-eyed, and said, “Are you two trading stories just to mess with our minds or what?!”

Christian was grinning widely as he moved towards Dean. “Or what.”

“Made for each other,” Jensen said, grinning.

“That too,” Christian agreed, pausing by Dean to kiss him lightly, and then he smirked at him as he teased, “In more ways than one.”

Dean gave Christian a wicked grin, his greenish hazel eyes sparkling as he murmured, “Hell yeah. In as many ways as I can talk you into, even.”

Christian laughed, blushing a bit as he turned away from Dean and continued towards the counter to start putting the stuffing for the steaks together. “Maybe, if you can find enough tequila.”

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Dean said, sounding smug. “I’ve got a case of Cuervo Gold in my closet at Jen’s place, minus a couple bottles.”

Christian turned to look at Dean in surprise, wondering if Dean really would get him drunk and then try for a chance at his ass. “You keep a _case_ of expensive tequila in your closet?”

Dean smirked, looking very wicked. “I hate liquor stores.”

“And he always goes for good tequila when he wants to get drunk,” Jensen added as he walked around the end of the breakfast bar, snickering. “If he’s drinking beer or Jack he’s just relaxing, but when the Cuervo Gold comes out it’s ‘cause he just wants to get plain old shitfaced.”

“Add another to the list of ways they’re alike,” Steve said, laughing.

Christian just looked at Dean for a moment longer, unable to keep from grinning at the way Dean was smirking at him, and then he finally turned back towards the counter to get started on the stuffing. “Maybe we’ll find out another one.”

“Hot damn,” Dean said, sounding happy and smug as Christian heard his boots land on the tile floor and then Dean started walking towards the fridge. “You want anything to drink, Christy?”

“Sure, babe,” Christian said, smiling wryly at Dean calling him ‘Christy’ again. Dean had called him that several times already while they were in bed, and it occurred to Christian suddenly as he dumped the onion, bacon, and jalapeno mixture into the blue cheese that he probably should have nipped it in the bud the first time instead of answering to it. Steve and David had dubbed him Chris in much the same way, which was why he had called them Stevie and Dave in revenge. “Root beer?”

“Got it.” Christian heard Dean open a can and then a few moments later Dean stepped in close behind him, reaching past him to put the root beer on the counter. Dean slid his free arm around Christian’s waist and pressed himself against Christian’s back as he purred into his ear, “I promise not to do anything you don’t beg me for.”

Dean kissed below Christian’s ear and then moved away without waiting for any kind of an answer, but that was okay with Christian. He was well on his way to being hard, he felt like his face was on fire, and most importantly, he was kind of shocked to realize that having Dean’s muscular body pressed so closely against his back had made him want to say something really stupid.

Like maybe ‘please’, or even ‘God, yeah’.

 

~*~

 

Cooking the steaks and corn with Christian had been more fun than Dean had expected, and it had boosted his confidence more than a little.

Christian had asked Dean to watch the food while he went to get the iron skillet to make the steak sauce in, which Dean hadn’t thought twice about until he saw David and Steve’s faces. Steve and David had talked about it quietly while Christian was in the house, and their amazement that Christian had asked Dean to watch the rattlesnake steaks for him had made Dean realize just how seldom Christian trusted anyone, even Steve, to help him cook his favorite meal. That trust meant a hell of a lot to Dean, and he had felt like he was floating pretty much ever since.

They had all decided to eat in the house not long after that because it was so much cooler inside, but after dinner was done and the food was put away they still planned to go out and relax a while on the patio. Dean was looking forward to playing and singing with Christian and the others, and he was pretty sure Christian had insisted on going back outside to do it because he knew Dean wanted to watch the horses while they all relaxed, but the others hadn’t really argued about it. There was a cooler full of iced beer out there waiting on them, and it would cool off fast as the sun went down so it would be nice outside by the time they finished dinner and got out there.

Dean was already feeling kind of buzzed as he turned away from the counter piled with food to cross the kitchen back to the breakfast bar even though he hadn’t anything alcoholic in hours, and he had a feeling the evening was only going to get better. There was a large cold mug of Corona waiting on the bar at the empty spot next to Christian’s plate, and that and the plate of food he was carrying was enough to make his minute as he headed back to the bar. He was grinning like a fool as he tried not to drool over the steak, beans, corn, and potato salad piled high on his plate with the dark balsamic vinegar-based sauce over the steak and green onions and sliced peppers sprinkled over top of it all. He planned to go back for at least one more plate – there was _no way_ he was missing out on the brisket and ribs or the mac and cheese, they all smelled fantastic – but he figured he had a terrific start ready to go.

“You’re not even gonna try the barbecue?” Steve asked suddenly, sounding amused and surprised.

Dean looked towards Steve with a laugh. “If you think I’m stoppin’ with one plate of food, you got another think comin’, Stevie.”

David grinned, pausing just before he took another bite of the rib he was holding. “Worked up an appetite today, huh?”

“Repeatedly,” Dean agreed, smug as he put down his plate and then settled onto his stool. “It’s been a _real_ good day.”

“Took you two a few tries to get it right, huh?” Steve asked, smirking.

Dean smirked at Steve despite the way he felt his face heating up, finally relaxed enough to tease right back. “You’re just jealous ‘cause I already got laid a hell of a lot more than you will this weekend, an’ I got more of the same to look forward to later.”

Steve laughed, looking surprised as David asked, “What happened to the guy who was so shy he hardly talked to us?”

Jensen snickered and then said dryly, “I told you, he’s not near as shy as you think he is, David.”

Dean smirked at David, reaching for the bowl of sliced limes he had put on the table while the others were filling their plates. “I’m gettin’ used to you two clowns fast.”

Christian snickered, following Dean to the bar to sit by him with his own plate as he said cheerfully, “You tell ‘em, baby.”

Dean grinned at Christian as he squeezed a wedge of lime over his mug and then dropped it in. “You really think I should? I get the feeling they’re both too straight to really appreciate it.”

Christian laughed. “You got that shot right.”

Dean smirked, reaching for another lime wedge. “I’ll just leave ‘em in the dark, then. I mean, they _are_ your best friends. I wouldn’t wanna traumatize ‘em, tellin’ them how fan-fuckin-tastic you are in bed. I might put ‘em off their feed or something.”

Christian just laughed again, blushing as he picked up his knife and fork to start cutting his steak, and Dean noticed that Christian’s plate was filled exactly like his except for the fact Christian had mac and cheese instead of beans.

Dean smirked and dropped the second wedge of lime into his glass, then reached for his own knife and fork to follow Christian’s example. He had snuck a taste of the filling and the steak sauce while he helped Christian cook so he was very sure they were going to be good, but the first bite of it all together was still a surprise. The bone-in ribeye steak was nice and rare, and the filling and sauce were just the right contrast to the beef, sharp and salty and a bit sweet with a hint of bite from the peppers. It all came together into something just plain _perfect_ , and Dean was amazed.

Dean savored the first bite for a few moments as he chewed slowly, and then he looked at Christian as he finally swallowed, a bit wide-eyed. “God, that’s _incredible_.”

Christian grinned at Dean, his blue eyes sparkling and happy. “You like, huh?”

“Hell no,” Dean said with a little surprised laugh. Christian blinked and looked a little confused, and Dean leaned to kiss Christian hard and fast before he said with a grin, “I fuckin’ _love_ it. If all your food’s this good I may never cook again.”

Christian laughed, pleased. “What if I _want_ you to cook for me?”

“I’m sure I could be persuaded, Christy,” Dean answered, smirking at Christian. “If you make it worth my while I’ll do _anything_.”

Christian grinned, looking interested and just a little wicked. “Any ideas how you’d like me to do that?”

“Not while we’re eating!” David said quickly then, laughing.

Dean looked towards David with a surprised laugh, blushing just a bit as he remembered the other three were watching and listening from just across the breakfast bar. He had almost forgotten they were there again, which would be a bad habit to get into. Christian wasn’t out, so Dean needed to pay attention to who might be around when he and Christian talked instead of letting himself get so lost in how Christian made him feel.

David was wiping barbecue sauce off his cheek with one thumb as he added firmly, “I don’t wanna know any more.”

Christian laughed again. “Poor Dave, do we scare you?”

Dean snickered and looked down at his plate to cut a few more bites off of his steak as David said quickly, “Yes! Some of us are straight, and right now we outnumber you, so you’re outvoted. No sex talk during dinner.”

Steve laughed and added, “Please.”

Jensen snickered then and Dean glanced up, looking at Jensen, Steve, and David as Jensen teased, “What happened to letting them be happy?”

“They can be happy without talking about _having_ _sex_ while I’m trying to eat,” David said quickly, grinning.

“If they can’t then they’ve got a hell of a problem,” Steve added, amused.

Dean snickered. “Oh, shut up, you big _babies_. We won’t scare you any more.” David and Steve looked at him, both of them surprised and laughing, and Dean smirked at them. “Mostly ‘cause I’m starvin’ though, not because I’m just that nice.” He took another bite of his steak, still smirking at them while Christian snickered next to him.

David looked at Steve, a bit wide-eyed as he said, “Oh God, there’s _two of them_.”

Steve let out a little snort of a laugh, looking at David. “You’re just noticing that? Where the hell have _you_ been?”

“Dean’s been all quiet and shy!” David protested, laughing. “How was I supposed to notice he was a cocky smartass?”

Jensen snickered. “I _told_ _you_ he was just quiet ‘cause he wanted you two to like him.”

“And now?” David asked, looking at Dean, who was blushing as he tried not to laugh, and then at Jensen. “What changed in the last couple hours?”

“He got laid,” Christian said, smirking and smug as David looked at him in surprise. “An’ he figured out I’m still gonna love him even if he gives you two hell.” He smirked. “I might even help him.”

“’Cause I am just that awesome,” Dean agreed, grinning at David and Steve despite his lingering blush. 

“An’ then some, baby,” Christian agreed, making Dean look at him. Christian cut himself another bite of steak and then looked up again to meet Dean’s gaze, adding with a pleased grin, “I needed somebody to help me keep ‘em on their toes.”

“I think I can handle that,” Dean said, grinning at Christian.

“I know you can,” Christian agreed, leaning to kiss Dean lightly. “Now shut up an’ eat.”

Dean laughed and teased, “Yes sir.” He ate a bite of steak as if to prove it, munching happily while he watched Christian with a grin.

Christian just laughed and went back to cutting up his own steak, looking happy and kind of smug.

 

~*~

 

Jensen took a slow drink of his beer, watching Dean and Christian putting away the left over food with just a little amazement. There was a lot of food to put away, but that wasn’t what had surprised him. He knew Dean had spent very little time in Christian’s home, less than a full day, but Dean still seemed to know where almost _everything_ was already. He hadn’t really needed to ask where something was that Jensen had seen, instead seeming to guess where Christian would keep things without needing to really think about it. It was really a little weird, but in a good way.

Jensen had no clue how Dean did it, but he did know one thing for sure: he was glad that David and Steve had gone out to get more ice for the coolers. He was sure that Christian’s friends wouldn’t have been able to resist asking questions about the way Dean and Christian worked together, and he was kind of enjoying the chance to just play fly on the wall. He liked David and Steve, but he had a feeling that Christian and Dean wouldn’t have been able to ignore them they way they were ignoring him.

Christian was wrapping a second plastic-wrapped stack of three slabs of ribs and a half brisket with foil, and he glanced over at Dean with a smile as he murmured, “Babe? Could you get down some plastic containers?”

“Sure,” Dean agreed quietly, smiling as he looked up from putting plastic wrap around a much smaller chunk of brisket that he had bundled up with just one slab of ribs for David to take home in the morning. “Over the cabinet with the foil?”

“Yeah,” Christian agreed, looking pleased as he went back to wrapping the foil. “There’s a whole stack of two-cup containers up there. Lids are in the cabinet too, up top.”

“Gotcha,” Dean said, looking back down to finish wrapping the brisket and ribs, tucking the plastic securely around the meat before he grabbed a towel to wipe his hands and moved away to head for the cabinet at the end of the counter along the right wall of the kitchen.

Jensen watched Dean flip the towel over his shoulder and open the upper cabinet to reach for the containers, curious but not asking any of the questions that flitted through his mind for one simple reason. He had been serious earlier when he talked with David and Steve about not poking what Dean and Christian had, and he wanted to let them enjoy even the simple things without having to explain themselves. It was obvious to Jensen that even clearing the dishes and putting away leftovers had been enjoyable for Dean and Christian simply because they were together, and he felt kind of privileged that they trusted him enough to relax so completely around him.

Dean carried the containers and lids to the counter by the pot of beans, the pan of macaroni and cheese, and the big bowl of potato salad, setting them down as he looked at Christian. “Just fill ‘em up for them?”

Christian looked towards Dean, smiling. “Three each of the beans, potato salad, an’ mac an’ cheese, yeah.”

Dean smiled and started separating out the containers as he asked softly, “What about the steaks? There’s three left.”

“Those aren’t goin’ anywhere,” Christian said with a soft laugh.

“If you snooze you lose?” Dean half asked, grinning as he began filling containers with potato salad.

“Exactly,” Christian agreed. “We’re havin’ ‘em for breakfast tomorrow with some fried potatoes an’ maybe some bacon an’ flapjacks. Depends on how hungry we are when we start cookin’.”

“Sounds great,” Dean said with a soft, pleased laugh.

Jensen took another sip of his beer, amused as he wondered if there was anything Dean and Christian didn’t agree on. Christian had just described the kind of breakfast Dean had often made for himself and Jensen, and somehow Jensen doubted that Christian had discussed it with Dean to learn what Dean liked. It was just another example of how compatible they were, and made Jensen feel even better about the fact he was very sure Dean was neck deep in love with Christian and falling deeper all the time.

Dean tossed the potato salad spoon into the sink and then reached for the plastic wrap to cover the bowl as Christian finished wrapping the last package of meat, watching Dean and smiling as the expression in his blue eyes shifted to something warm and gentle. Dean snuck a glance at Christian a moment later, pausing to stare into Christian’s eyes with a sweet smile and a look in his eyes that made Christian step closer and kiss him tenderly.

Every move Christian and Dean made was loving and relaxed as they shared a simple kiss that was obviously fueled by love, not lust, and Jensen was surprised to find himself hoping he would have a relationship like theirs some day. He wanted the unwavering acceptance that Dean had found in Christian, tempered by trust, need, and love that had grown so strong between them in such a short time. Jensen was still constantly amazed that they were so in love so quickly, but he didn’t doubt it even a little bit, not after all he had seen in the last twenty-four hours. He thought their relationship might last the rest of their lives if it was given a chance, and he hoped he was right.

Dean and Christian finally pulled apart to smile at each other, warm and loving and obviously very happy, and then they went to work on putting away the rest of the food without saying a word, working side by side.

There was very little Jensen could do for Dean that Dean couldn’t do better himself, but this one time Jensen felt like he had done good. Because of Christian, Dean was happier than Jensen had ever seen him before, and he loved knowing he had helped make that possible. He had thought Dean was pretty happy in LA, but after seeing Dean with Christian for a few hours he had realized that Dean hadn’t _really_ been happy, just going through the motions because that was what Dean always did. Christian had made Dean _truly_ happy right down to the core, and Jensen would never forget it.

Jensen never would have believed it if someone told him Dean fell so hard and fast for _anyone_ , but seeing it with his own eyes made it impossible for him to deny. He had no doubt in his mind that it was love that he saw shining in Dean’s eyes, intense and obviously kind of awed that the same look was in Christian’s eyes, and Jensen was very glad that he had pushed Dean into meeting Christian. He had never seen Dean look at Puck, it was true, but after seeing the way Dean had just looked at Christian he had a hard time thinking that Dean could have loved Puck any more.

Jensen figured that he owed Steve big for pushing Christian into meeting Dean, almost as much as he owed Christian for the way he had taken Dean into his heart and his home without hesitation.

 

~*~

 

The sun was going down as Dean walked towards the Impala with Cisco tagging along loose at his heels. Dean was smiling and enjoying how obvious it was that the colt liked him as he called, “Jen, is my Martin in the trunk? I noticed it wasn’t in the back seat with the coolers.”

“Yeah, I know how you are about that guitar, so I didn’t want it rattling around in the seat,” Jensen agreed, looking over from where he had just sat down with a beer next to Steve. “I moved junk around in the trunk to hold it steady.”

“Thanks, bro,” Dean replied, pleased. He moved to the driver’s door, leaning in the open window to get his keys and then turning to move towards the trunk only to laugh. Cisco was standing in the way, watching him curiously, and Dean grinned as he took a step towards the colt, murmuring, “Fellah, you’re supposed to be out here to graze, not to follow me around like a lost puppy.” Cisco didn’t seem to agree, moving closer to Dean to nuzzle his cheek with a soft huff of air that made Dean chuckle softly as he lifted his free hand to stroke the colt’s cheek. “You are so damned _spoiled_ , fellah.”

“Cisco!” Christian called as he walked down the front steps of the house, “come here, you mooch, an’ leave him alone.”

Cisco turned his head to look at Christian, ears pricked up, then looked back at Dean as if to ask what he thought about that idea. Dean laughed and put his hand on the side of Cisco’s neck, pushing to turn him towards Christian. “Go on, you heard the man.”

Cisco let out a sigh and turned away to walk over to Christian, and Dean had to work at it not to laugh when he saw how happy Christian looked, despite the almost scolding tone he had used with the colt. When Cisco reached Christian he nuzzled at Christian’s face much as he had Dean’s, hoping for a little affection, and Dean grinned at the way Christian just laughed softly and then moved to hug the colt.

Dean turned away, still grinning as he continued to the trunk, opening it up and then snorting when he saw the mess Jensen had made of everything he kept stowed on top of the false bottom that hid his weapons locker. The Martin was wedged between the tool bag and a twenty-pound sack of salt with the small duffle of emergency clothes Dean kept in the trunk padding one end and his jumper cables and random crap that Jensen must have dug pretty deep in Dean’s trunk to find packed around the other end to keep the guitar case in place.

Dean carefully extracted the Martin’s case from the trunk and leaned it against the bumper by him, then tossed his duffle down by it before he started to reorganize the trunk again like it was supposed to be. He had hardly gotten started before he was muttering under his breath about shit he didn’t need, flinging things back into the area against the back seat at the very front of the trunk. It was easy to ignore anything he put up there since it would fall down behind the weapons’ locker, so things were out of sight and out of mind without being completely lost.

The bag for his old laptop went up there, and the duffle with a change of clothes for Sam, and the backpack he had used in high school that still had his notebooks in it just like it did the day he left Lima, and even one of John’s battered old Army jackets that must have _really_ been shoved back into the back because Dean hadn’t seen it in _years_. There was a pair of hiking boots Sam outgrew more than a year ago but that Dean could wear if his combat boots got wet or something, and a baseball cap for the team Sam had played on his Junior year in Maryland, and a nearly new-looking Louisville Slugger that Sam had used to make the two home runs he hit in his last baseball game his Senior year.

“Babe, if you want to get rid of some of that, I’ve got a trash can in the barn,” Christian said suddenly, making Dean look up in surprise. Christian looked amused and fond, standing next to the Impala’s trunk and watching Dean with a grin.

Dean let out a little laugh, feeling sheepish as he wondered how long Christian had been standing there listening to him mutter under his breath. “Well, no, not really. I don’t need any of it, but I’m not ready to pitch it, either.”

Christian’s grin softened into a smile. “Memories, huh?”

Dean nodded. “Everything in here’s got a story, and I’m not ready to forget ‘em yet.”

Christian moved around to the back of the Impala by Dean, smiling as he murmured, “Then leave it for another day, babe. It’s time to relax an’ kick back with the guys.”

Dean looked into Christian’s eyes a moment and then smiled, reaching down to grab his guitar and the small duffle, then slinging the guitar case on his back. “Works for me, Christy.” He closed the trunk and then offered Christian his free hand, smiling softly as he murmured, “I’d much rather spend time with you anyway.”

Christian took his hand, lacing their fingers together as he murmured softly, “Lucky me.” He leaned to kiss Dean softly and then moved away, tugging Dean’s hand.

Dean smiled and followed, moving up to walk next to Christian as he noticed Cisco standing near the patio, grazing on the tall grass there. “You finally convinced him to go eat, huh?”

Christian glanced at Dean and then followed his gaze to Cisco before he let out a laugh. “Yeah, I told him to go away. He knows better than to be a pest.”

“Which was useful earlier,” Dean agreed, smirking as he remembered Christian ordering Cisco to go away so they could have sex behind the barn without a nosy colt nudging them at awkward moments hoping for attention.

Christian looked at Dean again, smirking wickedly. “Yeah, I never had to chase him off to do _that_ before, but he’s used to me tellin’ him to get lost ‘cause I’m busy.”

Dean’s smirk widened into a pleased grin as they reached the patio. “I feel special now.”

“You should,” David said with a laugh, making Dean look at him in surprise. David was sitting by Steve in one of the lawn chairs with a set of well-worn bongo drums between his knees, and he was smirking as he watched them approach. “I’d be willing to bet he’s never had sex in that barn before.”

“Still haven’t,” Christian pointed out with a laugh, letting go of Dean’s hand as he picked up the guitar that was in one of the two empty chairs. “We were _behind_ the barn, not in it.”

“And noisy as hell,” Steve added, snickering. “I _really_ didn’t want to know what Dean sounds like when he comes, but they didn’t give me or Jen a choice about listening to them.”

“Oh god,” Dean muttered, blushing as he knelt by the last empty chair, putting his bag under it and then shrugging out of the strap on the Martin’s case. “I thought y’all were _gone_ by then.”

“Not hardly,” Jensen said, looking kind of amused. “I think I might be traumatized.”

Steve started snickering again, nodding. “Me too.”

“You two numbskulls didn’t have to hang around to listen,” Christian pointed out then, sounding kind of annoyed. Dean glanced up from unbuckling the case to look at Christian and saw he was blushing red all the way down his neck, and smiling slightly despite his tone of voice. “It’s not like we _made_ you stay out here.”

“We weren’t done getting the meat in the smoker,” Steve said with a laugh, “so we _had_ to stay, or we wouldn’t have been eating tonight.”

“And we were both starving,” Jensen added, smiling slightly. “There was no way we were letting the food slide just because you two can’t keep it in your pants for more than an hour at a time.”

“It’s been more than an hour,” Dean protested, feeling his face heat up more.

“If we weren’t here, you two would be in bed right now,” David pointed out, looking amused.

Dean looked at Christian, who grinned and said, “He does know me pretty well, babe.”

Dean laughed, looking down to open up the Martin’s case as he said dryly, “I’m not thinkin’ we would have made it to the bed, myself.” He heard Christian laugh as he lifted the Martin out of the case, and he was standing up with the battered old guitar when Steve suddenly spoke up.

“That guitar’s seen a lot of hands.” Dean looked over at Steve as he sat down, surprised to see Steve looked kind of awed as he stared at the guitar. “Is that really a thirty-five Martin?”

“A thirty-eight,” Dean corrected as he ducked into the guitar’s strap and settled it on his lap. He smiled, running his hand over the scarred surface of the guitar’s age-darkened wood, adding, “An old friend of mine bought it at a flea market when he was nine for twenty bucks. It was his first guitar, an’ when he taught me to play, he made me take it so it could be my first, too.”

“He stole that guitar,” Christian said, making Dean look over at him. Christian was smiling as he added, “I nearly bought one a few years back that needed the tuners an' some of the frets replaced. Guy was askin’ ten grand for it.”

Dean’s eyes widened and he stared at Christian, and then after a minute he looked down at the battered old guitar in his lap, taking in the deeply scratched front where a pickguard should be, the scuffed finish, and the well-worn fingerboard along the neck. He looked back at Christian after a moment, still kind of shocked as he repeated softly, “Ten grand?”

Christian nodded, smiling crookedly. “Yeah, babe. That’s a _rare_ old guitar. I’ve only seen three Martins that old in my life, an’ I’ve seen thousands of guitars. Even as battered as that one is, it’s probably worth twelve grand, easy, an’ a collector that wants a Rosewood model from that particular year might pay twice that.”

“Wow,” Dean murmured, looking back down at the guitar as he ran his hand over the scarred surface. “Puck told me he’d done some research an’ found out it was rare, but he didn’t tell me it was worth that much.” He smiled crookedly, not looking up as he pulled the worn old ivory pick out of the strings near the wrist of the guitar, adding, “Probably ‘cause he knew if he did, I’d never let him give it to me, no matter how determined he was that I have it.”

“He was what, seventeen?” Christian asked, making Dean nod as he looked over at him. “Then he probably didn’t know,” Christian added, smiling softly. “He knew it was special to him, but so were you, babe.”

Dean smiled a little wider. “I was. He wanted me to have it so I’d think about him whenever I played it, an’ it worked.”

“That explains why you play so many depressing songs,” Jensen said suddenly, making Dean look at him in surprise. Jensen looked kind of surprised but a little pleased too as he added, “Play something for them, bro. I’ve got a feeling they’ll appreciate that guitar’s sound a lot more than most.”

“Yeah, do,” Steve added quickly, smiling at Dean as he picked up his own guitar and settled it in his lap. “I’d like to hear how she sounds.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed, looking back down at the guitar as he settled his fingers against the strings on the fretboard, thinking. He smiled suddenly a moment later and then added, “I’ll play the first thing I ever played on it, I guess.” He grinned, not looking up as he shifted his fingers into a different position and added, “When I learned to play this, Puck told me it was his favorite acoustic version of the song, but I didn’t ask who had done it so I didn’t know for a while that that this arrangement was by Dolly Parton.”

The others laughed at that, but they all fell silent as he began to play, picking out the intricate tune with careful precision even though he had played it so many times he could probably play it half asleep if he wanted to. The Martin still fit in Dean’s arms like it had been made for him, just like it had that first time he played it years ago, and as he played the song he couldn’t help but remember that long ago day in Kurt’s basement, sitting on the couch with Kurt beside him and Puck in a nearby chair.

Dean was silent until he was about thirty seconds into the song, and then he smiled softly as he sang, “ _There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, a stairway to heaven…”_

 

~*~

 

Christian sat in the chair next to Dean’s and watched him play the old Martin, swallowing hard at the way the Martin’s clear, perfect tone combined with the rich timbre of Dean’s voice. Dean had the kind of voice that wasn’t really meant for a studio and would lose a lot in translation if he were recorded, but in person Christian figured that Dean could hold his own with anyone. Dean would never sell a million records, but there was so much soul in his voice that Christian couldn’t help but think that he sounded amazing.

“ _Oh, the great almighty dollar leaves you lonely, lost and hollow. You can’t fool yourself forever, you gotta work to get to heaven. Stairway to heaven. If we listen and hold fast, to every question that we asked, the truth will come to us at last...”_   Dean stopped playing abruptly there to sing the last line softly, his voice clean and clear and just plain _perfect_ as far as Christian was concerned. “ _And she’s buying a stairway…  to heaven_.”

Dean finished the last flourish of the song and then finally looked up, his gaze meeting Christian’s immediately as if he wanted to see Christian’s reaction. “That was amazing, babe,” Christian said softly, smiling as he stared into Dean’s green-tinted hazel eyes. “You’re _really_ good.”

Dean seemed surprised and pleased by that, looking back down at the guitar with a shy little smile. “It’s the guitar. It can make anyone sound good.”

Christian snorted. “Not hardly. The guitar’s pretty special, yeah, but it can’t give you the voice to go with it.”

“He’s right, you’ve got a lot of talent,” Steve added then, and Dean looked over at him in surprise as Christian looked at Steve too. “When Jensen said you have a great voice, he wasn’t exaggerating even a little, man,” Steve said quickly, smiling at Dean and looking kind of surprised. “You oughta think about singing in public some time. The crowd at the Viper Room would eat you and that guitar up with a spoon.”

Christian looked at Dean to see what he thought about that, amused by how wide-eyed Dean was as he shook his head quickly. “Oh hell no,” Dean blurted, “I did my stint on stage, an’ I’m _never_ doin’ it again.”

“You were on stage before?” David asked, looking curious.

“In high school,” Dean admitted, nodding as he blushed again, looking a little embarrassed. “I was in a show choir in Ohio that won second place at Regionals.” He paused slightly and then added, “I never did sing lead in competition, but they didn’t tell me to hide in the back row or anything. Me an’ my girl were right up front for about half the performance because Quinn took a couple of lines.”

“Show choir?” David asked with a little laugh, surprised and a little derisive. “The dorky kids that dance and sing in the glittery outfits?”

Dean flushed a little darker, but his chin lifted as his eyes narrowed slightly as his expression hardened into something right on the edge of annoyed. “Yeah, the kids that dance and sing, only we weren’t wearin’ _glitter_. We did a Journey set at Regionals, and would have won if the judging hadn’t been fixed by a lady who had it in for our director. We were damned good.”

“Your girl was in the choir?” Steve asked, changing the subject slightly. “Was she why you joined?”

“No, we moved into town near the end of the year, and my schedule left me stuck in Glee,” Dean explained, looking over at Steve. “I was pissed at first, but it didn’t take me long to change my mind. I made the best friends I ever had because of that class, except for Jensen.”

“That was where you met Puck too, wasn’t it?” Christian asked, wondering why Dean had called Quinn his girl.

“Yeah, it was,” Dean agreed, looking at Christian. “Quinn was his best friend.”

“I thought you dated that Puck guy,” Steve asked, frowning.

“I did,” Dean agreed, and when Christian looked towards him again he could see that Dean looked a little unhappy and reluctant to talk about it. “It was really complicated, but it all boiled down to me an’ Quinn both being lonely as hell even though we kind of had people we were dating. Puck was in love with the guy he’s still with now long before I ever blew into town, and Quinn’s girlfriend was pissed at her over a bunch of stuff that went down, an’ me an’ Quinn ended up with each other for a while. We never did anything, but she lived with me for a while.”

“She was living with you and you didn’t do anything?” David asked, surprised. “I thought you said you’re not gay?”

“I’m not,” Dean said, giving David a dirty look as he answered, obviously uncomfortable to be discussing it. “But I don’t cheat, either, an’ by the time she needed a place to stay I had been with Puck for a while. Even if she wasn’t his best friend, she wasn’t him or Kurt so I wasn’t gonna do a damned thing with her past sleepin’ with her, especially since she’d just had a baby.”

“A baby?” David asked, still looking surprised and a little confused. “I thought you said she had a girlfriend?”

Christian didn’t give Dean a chance to answer before he said firmly, “It’s none of your business, Dave. Just let it go.”

David looked at Christian then, frowning a bit, “But it doesn’t make any _sense_.”

“It don’t have to make sense to _you_ ,” Christian said pointedly, giving David a quelling look. “Dean told me all about it, an’ that’s all you really need to know.”

David stared at Christian a moment and then nodded a little reluctantly. “You’re right, I guess, as long as he’s been honest with you.”

Christian smiled, looking at Dean as he said quietly, “He has.”

Dean gave Christian a soft, slightly relieved smile as he murmured quietly, “Thanks.”

“No reason to thank me, babe,” Christian said, reaching over towards Dean and smiling when Dean moved his hand to take Christian’s without any hesitation at all. He gave Dean’s hand a squeeze, adding, “How about we play a little more music?”

“Sounds good to me,” Dean agreed, his grip tightening on Christian’s hand for a moment before he let go to put his hand back on his guitar, smiling at Christian. “Got anything in particular in mind?”

Christian grinned. “Yep.”

Steve laughed. “Wanna let us in on the secret, Chris?”

Christian looked over at Steve, grinning a little wider as he said, “You know it, Stevie.” He glanced down and then began to play, looking towards Dean to see if he recognized the song.

Dean listened for only a moment before he laughed and looked down at his own guitar to start playing the song, looking amused and kind of happy as he and Christian began to sing. “ _Ride cowboy ride, through the backdoor to heaven, to the other side. I wanna know the danger of a kiss at midnight, ride cowboy ride.”_

Steve was snickering a bit as he joined in to play the song with them, and then David began to tap out the beat on his drums and Christian glanced over to see David was grinning as he watched Christian and Dean.

Christian looked back at Dean as they started into the next verse, loving the way Dean was grinning as he looked up to meet his gaze. “ _Yeah I learned my lesson, here's the story I tell. So I make my confession, in this sleazy motel. I could be a romantic, I could try my best lines, but I ain't got the money and you ain't got the time.”_

David and Steve both joined in to sing the next chorus, but Christian didn’t look away from Dean, grinning ear to ear and thinking that he was pretty much the luckiest guy in the world.

“ _Ride cowboy ride, through the backdoor to heaven, to the other side. I wanna know the danger of a kiss at midnight, ride cowboy ride.”_

 

~*~

 

“ _There's two kind of brothers and two kind of lovers, and two kind of babies to hold. There's two kind of cherries and two kind of fairies, and two kind of mothers I'm told, and told… Cowboys and outlaws, right guys and southpaws, good dogs and all kinds of cats. Dirt roads and white lines and all kinds of stop signs, but I stand right here where I'm at, ‘cause I wear my own kind of hat_.”

Jensen watched Dean and Christian as they finished the song, surprised because he hadn’t had a clue that Dean even knew who Merle Haggard _was_ , much less knew all the words to any of his songs.

Christian reached for his beer, taking a deep drink and then letting out a soft laugh when Dean held his hand out for it. He passed the beer over, grinning at Dean but not saying anything, and Jensen realized Dean wasn’t bothering to get his own beers anymore, instead just sharing with Christian.

“Did you ever finish that new song?” David asked suddenly then, making everyone look at him. He was grinning and looking pleased as he lifted up a beer, adding, “You had a real good start on it this morning, I know.”

“I haven’t had a chance to write down everything, so it’s not _finished_ ,” Christian said quickly, “but I got most of it in my head now, I think.”

“Play what you’ve got, then,” Steve said, grinning. “You haven’t written anything new in months.”

Christian looked at David and Steve, then at Dean, smiling crookedly as he finally looked down at his guitar. “Alright, but like I said, it ain’t done yet.”

Dean was grinning as he watched Christian interestedly, listening as Christian began to play a quick, jaunty tune, and Jensen couldn’t do anything but grin too as he wondered what the song was about.

Christian didn’t look up as he started to sing, but his smile widened into a grin as he began to move a little with the music, tapping his toe with a beat that David quickly picked up on the drums. “ _There’s angels dancing in my head again, and it keeps my walking pace a little faster than, what it used to be, 'cause he found me, now there's dancing in my head. Am I crazy? Well, yes, I am_.”

Dean’s eyes had widened with surprise and he was staring at Christian, who seemed oblivious to it as he kept singing, and Jensen wondered just where the song was going.

“ _I don't think that it seems really all that strange, that I'm outside doing cartwheels in the rain. But if you could see him walk across a crowded room, then you'd understand why I've gone insane_.” Christian looked at Dean suddenly, still grinning as he sang, “ _The way he smiles in the moonlight, oh yeah, he outshines the stars brighter than any sun. And then I'll tell you man, well I just can't get enough, 'cause I'm crazy, crazy in love_.”

Jensen realized suddenly that he was grinning from ear to ear as he watched them, but it didn’t really matter. Dean’s shock was slowly turning into a shy happy grin as he stared into Christian’s eyes and listened to him play an instrumental bridge, and Jensen couldn’t have been happier for him if he tried. Dean looked like he had just been given the world on a silver platter, and Jensen was sure that was how he felt, too.

“ _I don't think that it seems really all that strange,”_ Christian went on with a wide happy grin after the bridge, “ _when I'm riding down the road singin' his name. But if you could see him walk across a crowded room, then you would understand why I go insane. Yeah... There’s angels laughing in my head again. I can hear them laughing but I just don't give a damn. 'Cause see it's him and me, we’re meant to be, and there's angels in our heads. Am I in love? Oh yes, I am_.”

Jensen watched as Christian looked down to finish off the song a flourish, then Christian looked up again to meet Dean’s eyes without saying anything, his grin softening into a gentle, loving smile that made his blue eyes shine.

“I’m right there with you, Christy,” Dean said softly, still smiling and looking kind of shy but happier than Jensen had ever seen him.

Christian’s smile widened and he leaned towards Dean, who moved without any hesitation to meet him for a lingering kiss that Jensen figured said a lot about how much they loved each other. They didn’t seem at all inclined to let it end in a hurry, but neither of them tried to push it into anything more than a kiss either, and Jensen was just starting to wonder when they would come up for air when Steve suddenly spoke up.

“You _know_ we’ll have to change that if we’re ever gonna do it in public, right?” Jensen looked at Steve, who was grinning widely and looking happy, then looked back at Christian and Dean.

Christian pulled away from Dean slightly, giving him a sweet, loving smile as he said quietly, “I didn’t write it for the fans, Stevie.”

“They’ll eat it up if you change up the pronouns, Chris,” Steve said quickly, and Christian finally looked over at him. “You know the girls love it when you sing love songs to them,” Steve went on, “and they’ll go _nuts_ for that one.”

“Play with it if you want, I guess,” Christian said, amused. “Like I said though, I didn’t write it for them.”

“Dean will still know it’s for him even after you and Steve change it up a little,” Jensen pointed out, smiling at the surprised look Christian gave him. “He’ll know you’re singing about him, no matter what the fans think.”

Christian looked back at Dean then, looking surprised still but pleased. “When you put it that way, I kinda like the idea.”

Dean smiled, still looking shy but very happy. “So do I.”

“Great!” Steve said quickly, and when Jensen looked towards him he had to snicker at how happy Steve looked. “They’re going to like ‘ _Crazy In Love_ ’ even better than ‘ _Sweet Carolina Rain_ ’, I bet. It’s got a great beat to get them going and they’re gonna love the lyrics.”

Christian laughed. “Have fun makin’ it over into something the fans can hear, Stevie.”

“I plan to,” Steve agreed, grinning. “What’re we playing next?”

Christian stood up, letting his guitar hang down his back as he stretched with a low groan and then smirked at Steve. “You can play anything you want, but my coach just turned into a pumpkin. Me an’ Dean are gonna feed the horses an’ head to bed.”

Dean grinned and shrugged out of the strap on his Martin, moving to put it back in the case as David snickered and said, “It’s not even eleven yet, Chris.”

Christian smirked at David. “I got maybe five hours of sleep since dawn _yesterday_ , an’ I know Dean hasn’t slept even that much, so I figure headin’ to bed now won’t hurt either of us.”

“Even if we aren’t gonna be sleepin’ just yet,” Dean added with a soft laugh, standing up as he fastened the buckles on the Martin’s case.

Christian gave Dean a wicked little smirk. “Now you’re readin’ my mind again, babe.”

“You know what they say about great minds,” Dean replied quickly, smirking. “We puttin’ our guitars in the house first, or lettin’ Jen take ‘em in when he goes?”

Jensen grinned. “I don’t mind taking them in.”

Christian laughed and shrugged out of the strap on his guitar, putting it down in his chair. “Thanks, Jenny.”

Dean grinned at Jensen, putting his Martin in his own chair as he added, “The case for Christian’s guitar is still in the Impala.”

“I saw it,” Jensen agreed, amused. “I’ll put it in the case before I take them in, I promise. I’ll put them in the living room by the saddles.”

“Thanks, bro,” Dean said with a pleased smile. He turned his attention to Christian as he asked, “You makin’ buckets, or am I?”

“I will,” Christian said with a soft laugh, moving closer to Dean to kiss him before he started towards the barn. “Then you can feed while I do hay.”

“Cool,” Dean agreed easily.

Christian glanced back at the others as he stepped off the patio. “Night, guys.”

Dean bent to grab the duffle out from under his chair and then moved quickly to follow Christian, grinning widely as he echoed, “Night,” and then whistled, quick and sharp.

Jensen looked towards where Cisco was grazing near the front porch just as the colt nickered in reply and then leapt into a gallop towards Christian and Dean, catching them quickly and then prancing along at Christian’s shoulder as if he were on a lead rope.

Steve laughed. “That colt is so damned _spoiled_.”

David snickered as Christian called, “I heard that, asshole!”

“He kind of is, babe,” Dean pointed out with more than a little amusement, and the way Christian spluttered made Jensen, Steve, and David all start laughing.

 

~*~

 

Christian moved to the stereo to put a CD in while Dean took off his boots, and Dean found himself watching Christian as he wondered how he could possibly be so very lucky. He had dreamed for years of finding a guy who would love him like Puck loved Kurt, since before he even left Lima, really, and he was sure he finally had that despite how insane it seemed to be to be in love after barely twenty-four hours of knowing someone.

Dean loved Christian despite how crazy it was though, and he was very sure Christian loved him too, and thinking about it left him feeling awed and as happy as he could ever remember being. Even the few perfect nights he had enjoyed with Puck and Kurt didn’t really compare, and he realized finally that he had loved them – still loved them, in fact – but what he felt for them might not have been quite as strong as he thought it was at the time. He had loved them so much more than anyone else in his life except Sam that it had seemed like the kind of epic love people wrote songs about, but the way Christian made him feel already after just a day made him very sure that he had _really_ found the kind of love he had wished for on so many lonely nights.

Christian pushed play on the CD player, which began playing the familiar strains of _Midnight Rider_ by the Allman Brothers as Christian smiled softly at Dean and asked, “What are you thinking about, babe?”

“How lucky I am I found you,” Dean replied with a smile as he dropped his last sock on his boots and then stood, padding barefoot over to Christian.

Christian smiled a bit wider and reached for Dean, pulling him in close as he murmured, “I been thinkin’ about that a lot myself tonight.” He kissed Dean then, slow and gentle but with enough hunger to kindle the slow simmering heat between them that was never very far from the surface.

Dean let out a low pleased noise and parted his lips, tilting his head slightly to give Christian a better angle as he slowly ran his hands over the cotton that covered Christian’s chest, enjoying the firm muscle and heat he could feel through the thin t-shirt. Christian let out a low purring growl and deepened the kiss, exploring Dean’s mouth like he owned it, and Dean was happy to surrender control to him and just enjoy the kiss and the feel of Christian’s hands on his body.

They had been kissing for several minutes when Christian started pushing Dean back towards the bed, murmuring against Dean’s lips, “So sexy, baby.” He nipped Dean’s lower lip gently and then added in a low rumbling growl, “Makes me want to pin you down on the bed and fuck you until we both pass out.”

“God yeah,” Dean whispered, not the least bit self-conscious about how needy and breathless he sounded because he knew Christian wouldn't think less of him for it. “Please do.”

Christian kissed him again instead of replying, starting to tug Dean’s shirt upwards almost maddeningly slow, and Dean suddenly couldn’t wait a moment more to feel Christian’s skin against his own. He pulled away to jerk the shirt up and over his head, then reached for his jeans as he looked into Christian’s eyes and murmured, “Get rid of those goddamned clothes, Christy.”

Christian grinned suddenly as he jerked his own t-shirt up and off, throwing it aside as he purred, “I do love how you think, baby.”

Dean shoved his jeans down, letting them fall and then stepping out of them as he backed towards the bed another step, smirking. “Right now I’m thinkin’ it’s been way too long since you fucked me.”

“Great minds,” Christian said, grinning wickedly as he let his own jeans drop and then moved after Dean, stalking and predatory as he asked, “How do you want it, babe?”

“Now would be good,” Dean said, sitting on the edge of the bed and then scooting backwards as Christian grabbed the lube off the bedside table and then climbed up onto the bed to follow him.

Christian smirked as he settled between Dean’s thighs a moment later, purring softly, “My choice then. Nice.” He kissed Dean, hard and fast, then leaned to nuzzle his ear as he breathed out softly, “I’m gonna fuck you so hard you’re still gonna be feelin’ it tomorrow, babe.”

Dean groaned softly, his hands tightening on Christian’s hips as he whispered, “Sounds awesome.”

“Good.” Christian bit just below Dean’s ear gently, and Dean closed his eyes as he arched upwards, hearing the familiar sound of the cap being opened on the lube. He shifted to wrap his legs around Christian’s hips, his hands sliding up to hold on to Christian’s shoulders, and then a moment later Christian’s cock was pushing into him gently, despite Christian’s words. Dean arched under him, his legs tightening around Christian to pull him in deeper with a low groan as Christian whispered into his ear, “Easy, babe. We’re in no hurry.”

Christian’s hips rocked in a shallow thrust, slow and careful, and Dean opened his eyes as he felt the head of Christian’s cock nudge against his prostate and then withdraw, staring up into Christian’s intensely blue eyes as he growled softly, “Speak for yourself.” He lifted his hips to force Christian’s next thrust in a little deeper, adding, “Fuck me already, you know I’m not gonna break.”

Christian smirked, wicked and hungry as he murmured huskily, “Anything you want, baby.” He kissed Dean then, hard and hungry as his hips jerked in a thrust that drove his cock fully into Dean, making Dean buck under him as he groaned into Christian’s mouth.

Christian pulled back to thrust again without any hesitation, beginning a steady rhythm that pulled low involuntary noises from Dean as he just held on for the ride, hips lifting to meet every hard thrust. He could feel Christian’s cock barely brushing against his prostate with every movement, and he arched his back a little more as he shifted his legs on Christian’s hips to change the angle, and he couldn’t quite stop a low cry as Christian’s cock dragged against it more firmly.

Christian trailed nipping kisses along Dean’s throat, muscles in his back and shoulders rippling under Dean’s hands as Dean tipped his head back to give Christian more access, groaning when Christian’s teeth closed on the bite he had left there earlier. Christian licked away the sting, hips starting to move a little faster as he growled against Dean’s neck, “You feel so fuckin’ good on my cock.” He shifted and then thrust a little harder, drawing a low noise from Dean as Christian licked up to his ear and then pulled back just enough to look at Dean as he murmured, “This ain’t gonna last near as long as I want it to.”

“If we can both still talk,” Dean gasped with a sudden grin, “you’re not tryin’ hard enough.”

Christian let out a snort of laughter and muttered, “Asshole.” He kissed Dean then, probably to keep him from making another smart remark, but Dean wasn’t planning to talk anymore anyway as he moved his hands down to Christian’s ass, holding on as Christian pounded into him. Christian kept the pace hard and fast, driving them both mercilessly towards the edge as they kissed, sloppy and clumsy and so perfect that Dean couldn’t get enough.

Dean got lost in the things Christian was making him feel, just responding as best he could and moving to meet every thrust of Christian’s hips, constantly making low noises that were mostly muffled by Christian’s mouth as he fought not to come yet. Christian’s rhythm finally changed, going a bit more erratic as he groaned into Dean’s mouth, ending the kiss and then letting his head fall forward his cheek brushing against Dean’s as he shifted to slide one hand between them. His calloused hand closed around Dean’s cock, pulling a low whining moan from Dean as Christian started to jerk him off quickly and growled into his ear, “Come on, babe. Come with me.”

Dean shuddered at the feel of Christian’s hand tightening around his cock just as Christian thrust hard and deep inside him again, his back arching as he stopped fighting it and came with a wordless cry, his ass clenching tight around Christian’s cock. Christian thrust into him just once more before he groaned and stiffened above Dean, his whole body shuddering as Dean felt him come.

Christian slumped forward onto Dean’s chest a few moments later, breathing hard as he nuzzled Dean’s ear and gasped softly, “Fuck, baby.”

Dean ran one hand slowly over Christian’s sweaty back, smiling softly as he turned his head to press a soft kiss to the side of Christian’s neck, then whispered a little breathlessly, “That’s what that was, yeah.”

Christian snickered and nipped his earlobe, pulling back just enough to look at Dean as he murmured, “Smartass.”

Dean just grinned and kissed him, earning a soft pleased noise from Christian as he felt Christian shift his hips enough for his cock to slip free of Dean’s body. Christian rolled them both over then, his arms going around Dean to hold him close as they kissed slow and easy, and Dean hummed softly into Christian’s mouth as he settled against Christian’s chest, moving his legs to drape one thigh across Christian’s hips. He finally ended the kiss after a few minutes, pulling away just enough to whisper, “I love you.”

Christian kissed him again and then gave Dean a soft, loving smile, his blue eyes gentle and warm as he murmured, “Love you too, babe.”

Dean smiled and kissed him again instead of trying to talk, feeling for the first time in his life like he just might have found a little slice of perfect of his own.

 

 

~ End

 


End file.
